Terra Mater Studios Moves into Fiction with Historical Series ‘Salon of Sugar’ About ‘Idealistic and Persistent’ Berta Zuckerkandl (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Marta Balaga Vienna-based Terra Mater Studios, a subsidiary of Red Bull, is developing its first fictional series “Salon of Sugar.” The historical drama will focus on Berta Zuckerkandl, born in 1864: a writer, journalist and a hostess of an important literary salon in Vienna, frequented by the likes of Auguste Rodin, Gustav Klimt, director Max Reinhardt or Stefan Zweig. “Composer Gustav Mahler actually met his wife Alma there,” says producer Nina Steiner, teasing other familiar faces bound to appear in the show, from Freud to Georges Clemenceau.

Verena Puhm writes. According to the makers, by creating an environment where revolutionary ideas and discussions flourished, Berta found herself at the very center of cultural and intellectual evolution during a “transformative” era in European history. “I was drawn to this story because it encapsulates the timeless struggle for freedom and equality amidst a backdrop of societal change.

Berta’s journey embodies the resilience and intellect of a remarkable woman navigating a world in flux,” says Puhm, with her producer adding: “We really believe that the issues presented here mirror what is happening now.” “Social inequality, rise of nationalism and antisemitism, democracy under threat: These are the topics we need to tackle right now, again.

Amid growing division in society, it’s important to look back and think about the origins of our world. What would Europe be like if these wars hadn’t destroyed it?