Local residents get first look at the finished episodes
On 15 October Netflix hosted a screening of the first two episodes of My Sad Dead at Piedrabuenarte cultural centre in the Piedrabuena housing complex, south-west Buenos Aires. Residents who had appeared as extras during the 50-plus-day shoot joined cast members Alejandra Flechner and Carolina Álvarez to watch the result on home ground.
The neighbourhood that became a character
The limited series, adapted from stories by Mariana Enriquez and directed by Pablo Larraín, follows retired doctor Ema, who can see and speak with the dead. Production designer Rodrigo Basaez chose Piedrabuena because its 1950s-80s apartment blocks and shared spaces captured the mix of everyday life and the supernatural the story needed. Streets, the water tower and local landmarks all appear on screen, giving the series an authentic Latin American setting that could not have been built on a studio lot.
What the cast said on the night
“It was a unique experience, something completely new. The neighbourhood, the people, how kind everyone was,” said Álvarez. Flechner added: “It was an enormous undertaking, with tremendous collaboration across every area — from everyone working on the production to the extras, actors and actresses. I’m grateful for everything this neighbourhood does, for Luciano, for El Galpón and its art. To me, you are a source of Argentine pride.”
The event underlined how a global streamer can create real local impact through filming, from jobs for residents to putting an often-overlooked district on an international stage. My Sad Dead premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival before landing on Netflix on 24 September.
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