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2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 JANUARY 2025 NEWS KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Ground breaking drama series on One TV explores queerness HOMOPHOBIA still permeates in football and it pushes young people away from the game or Homophobia still permeates foot- ball, pushing young people away from the game or forcing players to hide their sexuality, despite ef- forts to combat discrimination. This is one of the central themes of the ground-breaking new se- ries Kwir, produced by Brandon Terribile, which will begin airing on Monday, 6 January, on One TV. "I wanted to 'de-homophobe' football," he said of Alexander, one of the main characters in the series, who is a young footballer with a crush on a fellow male col- lege student, Conor. Terribile explained that despite more international football play- ers coming out about their sex- uality in recent years, the issue remains taboo in Malta. "While conducting research for this project, I realised that teen- agers who identify as queer ei- ther stay away completely from football or fear coming out to their teammates," he noted. "I feel Kwir will help challenge the stereotype that football is just for straight men." The TV series not only explores the budding gay relationship be- tween Alexander and Conor, but it also aims to create space for underrepresented voices and sto- ries. "The series explores pansexu- ality and non-binary sexuality, among other issues that I feel are not discussed openly, making it harder for young people to come out," Terribile explained. The cast also includes three renowned drag artists who will play themselves, making Kwir arguably the first Maltese TV se- ries centred on LGBTIQ themes, which aligns closely with Terri- bile's philosophy of inclusion. "I am very excited about this project because it is about inclu- sion, representation and inspira- tion," he said, calling it the first Maltese series to fall under the "LGBTIQ genre". The narrative follows themes of self-discovery, family, and human relationships, with teenagers nav- igating the complicated waters of love and identity. Terribile reported positive feed- back so far: "The series aims to reach young people and possibly inspire those who feel different to come out, but you'd be surprised by how many 60-year-olds ap- proach these issues with an open mind." However, the producer antici- pated negative feedback and re- sistance from certain religious quarters, which is why he has prepared the actors for any pos- sible backlash. "Especially with the young ac- tors, I had to prepare them for any reaction and offer psycholog- ical support if needed," Terribile said. This preparation ties in with the backstage work that went into the production. "I collaborated with organisations like MGRM because there was also a learning process involved for crew mem- bers, such as understanding what pronouns to use when addressing non-binary actors," Terribile ex- plained. Moreover, he added that the se- ries also promises to be entertain- ing. "At the end of the day, this series is intended to entertain its audience, but it also provides an environment that teenagers can relate to while raising awareness." Kwir brings together new faces to the TV screen alongside some of Malta's veteran actors, such as Frida Cauchi, Inez Farrugia, Mary Rose Mallia, and Sarah Camilleri. Kwir airs on One TV every Monday at 8:45pm. Kwir is set around the lives of two teenagers with a crush on each other Brandon Terribile is the writer, producer and director of Kwir