The gripping tale of teenage turmoil is brought to life in ‘Raising Voices,’ which can be streamed on Netflix. Directed by Eduard Cortés, David Ulloa, and Marta Font, this film is a must-watch.
Featuring Nicole Wallace, Clara Galle, Teresa de Mera, and Aïcha Villaverde, the Spanish teen drama miniseries centers around 17-year-old Alma and her two friends, Greta and Nata. Their lives are thrown into turmoil when Alma exposes the true identity of a stalker targeting their high school.
The characters’ raw emotions, intricate plot details, and chilling portrayal of societal issues all raise the question: Is the series inspired by real events?
The series presents an authentic portrayal of the struggles faced by teens, including parallel scenes of sexual assault and social media activism that are all too real and disturbingly familiar in present times.
Is Netflix’s Raising Voices based on a true story?
Based on the novel by Miguel Sáez Carral, the film ‘Raising Voices’ was adapted for the screen by Carral and Isa Sánchez.
Despite being a fictional narrative, ‘Raising Voices’, his creation, effectively portrays the harsh realities of rape culture and the challenges faced by its characters, making it feel eerily close to real life.
It serves as a reminder of the themes and relatable aspects that highlight the harsh realities that many endure in silence. The prevalence of rape culture in schools is a pressing issue faced by women in the real world.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a 17-year-old girl named Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam utilized TikTok to bring attention to a disturbing joke made by a teacher. This incident sparked a wave of public outrage over the widespread violence experienced by girls and women in Malaysia.
The incident is reminiscent of Alma’s actions in ‘Raising Voices,’ where she hung a banner in her school to bring attention to a concealed sexual assault.
Despite facing backlash and threats of expulsion on social media, Ain’s video sparked renewed debate on misogyny and violence, which led her to launch the #MakeSchoolASaferPlace campaign. The video has been viewed over 1.8 million times.
This occurrence highlights the significant influence and potential of social media in promoting awareness and catalyzing meaningful change in society.
Despite institutions’ efforts to conceal cases like those shown in ‘Raising Voices’ or the Steubenville High School rape case, social media’s widespread use is making it increasingly challenging to do so within all levels of society.
The 2012 Steubenville High School rape case shed light on the negative impact of social media as a tool for perpetuating and spreading abuse. In this case, the victim was severely intoxicated and unaware of the harm being inflicted upon her, while her friends recorded and shared videos of the assault on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, as well as through text messages. These actions only added to the heinousness of the perpetrators’ actions.
The videos quickly gained widespread attention, worsening the victim’s trauma and contributing to a harmful trend of victim-blaming and ridicule on social media. In addition, the school superintendent of Steubenville is facing charges for obstructing the investigation of a separate rape case that occurred in 2012.
Despite being vastly different, Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam’s #MakeSchoolASaferPlace campaign in Kuala Lumpur serves as proof of the positive influence of social media.
These examples illustrate how social media can be a double-edged sword, with its impact determined by how it is utilized. It has the potential to either perpetuate negative influences or facilitate positive societal progress.
Although ‘Raising Voices’ is a work of fiction, its themes reflect real-life issues, similar to those portrayed in other Spanish dramas.
The stories, including ‘Raising Voices,’ explore the widespread and chilling impact of sexual violence, blurring the boundary between fiction and the horrors of real life.
Despite being a work of fiction, ‘Raising Voices’ seamlessly incorporates elements of reality within its narrative, prompting questions about its authenticity. Its poignant depiction of social issues is so reminiscent of real-life scenarios that it encourages introspection.
Hence, while the series is a work of fiction, its relevance to contemporary issues demands a deeper examination of the societal problems it addresses. The prevalence of rape culture and the struggles faced by today’s youth are prevalent in our reality.
Despite any challenges, it is encouraging to see that the younger generation is unafraid to speak out against injustice and push for change, as exemplified by Alma in ‘Raising Voices’ and movements like #MakeSchoolASaferPlace. This courage to confront and question the existing norms is a promising indication of a future where accountability and equity prevail.
About Raising Voices
Raising Voices (Spanish: Ni una más) is a Spanish teen drama television miniseries adapted from the novel by Miguel Sáez Carral. Starring Nicole Wallace, Clara Galle, and Aïcha Villaverde, the series was released on Netflix on May 31, 2024.
The story centers around 17-year-old Alma and her friends Greta and Nata as they face a sudden upheaval in their normal lives. It all begins when Alma hangs a banner in their high school with the words “beware, there is a rapist lurking within”.
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