Stefan Ruiz is a photographer who enjoys intimate access to the world of telenovelas. These photos are only a tiny fraction of the work he has shot over the last few years. Says Ruiz, “It’s very difficult to get access to telenovela sets because they want to control their image. They film really fast and, unlike American soap operas, there is a clear beginning and end so they don’t want outsiders to spoil it for their loyal viewers. This bedroom is part of the Telenovela Institute’s set, which is located right next to the professional lot where all the big shows are shot. It has other rooms that you’d find in a house or apartment, but the bedroom is the most important because that’s where the romance takes place.
Los Ricos También Lloran (The Rich Also Cry)
Bogaty Toszhe Plachut,
Bogaty Toszhe Plachut
“These are two students at the institute. It’s the same set I shot in the previous bedroom photos but it’s been ‘upgraded.’ After a few visits, the lighting guys actually helped me get a good ambience going. On professional telenovela sets they’ll be building and taking apart rooms every day. They’ll shoot their scenes and later another crew will build a whole new set. Then they’ll rebuild the original set all over again if they need to use it for another scene.”
El Derecho de Nacer
The Right to Be Born
Chispita
Spark
Corazón Salvaje
Wild Heart
Mundo de Juguete
Toy World
Esmeralda
“They were pretty surprised when I decided to shoot the backdrops but after seeing the photos they thought it was cool. They probably would’ve said no had I asked beforehand, but I like pictures of pictures so I just went for it. Most of the time the backgrounds aren’t composed at all—it can just be a part of a bush or a roof or anything scenic.”
Los Ricos También Lloran
el Tigre
“The lady in the chair is Vanessa Guzmán. She was in a popular telenovela called Rubí. Maria Favela, who’s wearing the black pants, is huge right now. When I shot her she was also starring in Rubí, but now she’s moved on to bigger and better things like Species 4. I don’t know much about the woman with the fan except that she played a villain.”
Esmeralda
A similar story occurred in Zagreb, where the institute opened its doors in the form of a tequila bar, under the name Telenovela Bar. The tables of the bar were also glass-covered showcases displaying the objects of the exposition. Immediately, the bar became an important social center. There is a Croatian magazine, called Gloria, which is dedicated almost entirely to telenovelas: Mexican actors are interviewed in their houses in Las Lomas or San Angel, the same way that Vanity Fair would interview Scarlett Johansson or Angelina Jolie. A local artist proposed that we organize a workshop on telenovelas. When we advertised it, I thought we would get ten people at the most. The day of the workshop almost 100 people came, along with reporters from the local stations. The audience was a strange blend, composed of older housewives and local conceptual artists—one of the oddest mixes I’ve ever witnessed. Nevertheless, the conversations were revelatory: The housewives were experts on the subject, and they were very used to the idea of debating the sociological aspects of telenovelas. It went to show that, in any country, soap operas offer fuel for discourse.
“This is a wind machine to make it look like the actors are outside and stuff’s blowing around. It’s on one of the most popular telenovela sets. For some of the fancier ones with larger budgets they’ll go to Acapulco and shoot outdoors.”
Los Ricos También Lloran
Dallas
Dynasty
“The woman sitting in the chair was a student. I shot her on the day that the class was practicing kissing in the living room. It’s pretty amazing to watch because the couples really go for it and everyone cheers them on. The other guy I don’t know much about except that the apple he’s eating is fake.”
“The woman touching the dresser and guy in the living room were both acting in the
series when I shot them. The lady on the couch was a student at the time—she had spent all morning practicing kissing. Even though you might think otherwise, all of these people are very cultured and with-it. They don’t produce many films in Mexico, so telenovelas are about all that’s available if you want to act.”
Simplemente María
Simply Maria
Esmeralda
“This guy was kind of a mystery to me. All anyone would tell me is that his role was the dumb guy who everybody cheated on.”
El Derecho de Nacer
El Derecho de Nacer
Fidel in the Congo
Betty la Fea,
Ugly Betty
