An Interview with ‘Midnight Family’ Showrunner, Natalia Beristáin

Key Art for ‘Midnight Family’ Courtesy of Apple.

Natalia Beristáin is a highly accomplished director and writer, and currently… she serves as the showrunner of the new Apple TV+ series, Midnight Family. And to celebrate the first season of this show, we sat down with Natalia to discuss all things Midnight Family.
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John Betancourt I would like to start by getting to know what inspired you to come on as the showrunner of this series. 
 
Natalia Beristáin: Well, the invitation I got by the Fabula team. They had the rights for the documentary, but that was it, at the moment, and I was doing a show with them, and they asked if I wanted to develop it with them and think how this idea can become a fiction show. So having that opportunity like to develop it from scratch, or with this amazing promise that the documentary had, but making it our own and portraying my city, portraying what I live and hate and love every day in the city as a local, and with a local team as well, like local creative team, it was hard to pass. 
 
John Betancourt: You bring up a really good point about taking this in a very expansive direction, because I was very impressed with the fact that this series is, at times, it feels very much like a very scripted drama, but also it feels like a documentary, and it also feels very, very real and very raw, which I really appreciated. As a showrunner, what went into the decision to add such depth and add such realism to this particular story. Because this isn't something that medical shows tend to do. 
 
Natalia Beristáin: See I think it, I mean, we know these medical shows that have been going on for so many years, and there, obviously there's a formula there that works. But we wanted to take what we thought worked from that formula and make it our own and not try to make like a generic show, but a very specific show on not only the Mexican health issue context, but also, like, the way we live, our city and our like our Latin-ity and like, embrace that and be proud of that and portray that to the world. 
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, this is there's a lot of depth just when it comes to the human experience here. And as you just said, you know the situation in Mexico City when it comes to the to the medical setup there, ideally, what do you hope the audience takes away when they watch this show? 
 
Natalia Beristáin: See, totally I mean, for me, I mean, you have the medical drama, but it's about the human drama. And I think that it doesn't really matter where you're from or where you live. You can connect with that. You can connect with the fact that you're trying to pay the rent, you're trying to figure out who you are, in the middle of working, and you're falling in love for the first time. You're leaving your child because, not because you want to, but because you have to go and work and make money and all of that. That's the human drama, and that for me, is the core of our show, with the particularity that these characters live in an ambulance and have this adrenaline and rush and deal with life and death, but again, they just want to come to their house and take a bath. And, yeah, chill.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, this is a very ambitious tale as well. Just it's so grand and so sweeping as well. I love that too. What were some of the big challenges you encountered as a showrunner in assembling something so grand.
 
Natalia Beristáin: Every single thing that you can think of. I mean, shooting nights. We had a very long 25-week shooting, and of course, just by the name you know, you know that you're going to have a lot of shooting nights. Assembling this amazing cast, which I'm so proud of, but it took a while to make it happen, having a scope of a show that could compete with any show out there, but that still doesn't lose its local flavor, if, and doesn't lose sight of what mattered to us, which, again, it's a character driven piece, so having all those layers happening at the same time, it was definitely not easy, But I'm proud of the job accomplished. 
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, this is something that, you know, that you put a lot of work into. You very deeply care about. I can tell them in how you speak about it. What does it mean to you now to have it out to the world?
 
Natalia Beristáin: I'm just thrilled that it's out there. Finally. I'm thrilled that not only my work, but the team's work is going to be portrayed there, and the people worldwide can have a different look at what Mexico is, because usually at least the shows that happen on a bigger scale that portrayed Mexico or Latin American countries, they usually get, like, directors from outside to come and narrate our stories, which is fine, but this has that local point of view, and that, for me, is like something I'm really proud of. 
 
John Betancourt: Outside of that depth, we discussed, what else are you most excited for audiences to experience without giving any spoilers away?
 
Natalia Beristáin: Well, it's going to be a little window to Mexico City or to the different cities that Mexico City has. It also, I think, it opens questions about, “How does the public health system work in my community? Do I know how it works?” There are also social like narratives that we're touching without making a big political thing out of it. But I think the Latino creative minds behind it, behind and on camera… I am so proud of the scope of our show. I'm so proud of the actors and actresses that are portrayed there. Story wise, the fact that we're telling a story that doesn't necessarily -- it's new characters. I think it's refreshing to see Latino characters that are not Narcos or criminals. It's another part of our society and that I'm proud of as well. 
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity

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