The bittersweet story of a 13-year-old Medellin street urchin who rises to fame after being profiled in a Cannes Film Festival-nominated film, but ends up in jail amid accusations of theft and murder, will hit U.S. TV screens on UniMás.
Sony Pictures Television-RCN Television co-production Lady, La Vendedora de Rosas debuted Jan. 26 on UniMás, airing weeknights at 9 p.m. Playing former child star Lady María Tabares is Natalia Reyes, a Colombian actress who was a 2002 finalist on reality show Popstars: Colombia and who has starred in various Colombian telenovelas over the past 15 years.
The series dramatizes the story of Tabares, who began selling roses at a young age and is discovered by Colombian film director Victor Gaviria. Her performance in the film La Vendedora de Rosas (“The Rose Seller”) won international accolades and the first-ever nomination of a Colombian film at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998. Despite the success, she was back on the streets a year later, and was witness to the murder of her partner and the father of her child.
On April 10, 2008, Tabares’s life took a sharp turn downward, as she was convicted of theft and homicide and sentenced to 26 years in prison. She was released in May 2014, under the stipulation that she remain under house arrest.
Filmed in Bogotá, Colombia, Lady, La Vendedora de Rosas features a screenplay written by Lina Arboleda, Pedro Miguel Rozo and Juliana Lema. The series was executive produced by Andrea Marulanda and Juan Pablo Posada.
