In recent years, TV series based on real events have become increasingly popular. They allow viewers to touch history, see famous personalities and understand how important moments for society and culture happened. However, to what extent do these series reflect the truth, and where does fiction begin? In this article, we will look at how such projects are created, why directors resort to dramatization, and how the viewer can distinguish reality from fantasy.
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Why are TV series based on real events?
Stories from life always arouse interest – they are more emotional, full of conflicts and characters with difficult fates. At the same time, real events provide:
Authenticity and recognizability. The viewer is more easily immersed when he understands that he is not just seeing fiction.
Deep plot. Stories from life are full of surprises, moral dilemmas and dramas.
Educational value. Such series provide an opportunity to learn about the past and draw conclusions.
How are series based on real events created?
The creation process is based on several stages:
Research and information gathering. Directors, scriptwriters and producers study documents, interviews, biographies, court materials.
Selecting key events. Often, it is necessary to focus on certain episodes so as not to overload the plot.
Dramatization. To create emotional tension and an interesting narrative, scriptwriters can add dialogues, scenes or even characters that did not exist in reality.
Consultations with experts. Ideally, to minimize distortions, historians, participants in the events or their relatives are invited.
Filming and artistic design. Actors get used to their roles, an entourage is created that conveys the spirit of the era.
Where does truth end and fiction begin?
Artistic license
To make the story more dynamic, many series use techniques:
Compressing time frames (events that lasted for years are shown in a few months).
Creating fictional dialogues or scenes to explain the characters’ motivations.
Combining several real personalities into one character.
Changing the chronology for dramatic effect.
Censorship and political context
Sometimes events are softened or, on the contrary, intensified to fit the policies of producers, platforms or the state. This can lead to some facts being omitted, while others are presented with bias.
