Echoes of the Past: Netflix reimagines a hit Mexican series for the Arab world

The adaptation of Who Killed Sara? stars Asser Yassin as a man who sets out to uncover the murder of his sister

Netflix’s latest Arabic original is a tale of revenge that aims to subvert all expectations. It draws inspiration from the streaming platform’s hit Mexican series, Who Killed Sara?, but instead of being merely an Arabic adaptation, Echoes of the Past is a reimagined version that has been tailor-made for the region.

The series stars Egyptian actor Asser Yassin as Yehia, a man who sets out to uncover the murder of his sister, played by Huda El Mufti. Over eight episodes, the show reveals the family's dark secrets in a whirlwind of suspense and during the course of the series, everyone becomes a suspect.

“The story is very gripping,” Yassin tells The National during a Netflix event on the sidelines of Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival. “Instead of doing it across three seasons, we did it in only eight episodes. And that’s actually a challenge. The writing is great. The cast, I have an all star cast. It was an amazing journey. I'm really proud of this project.”

One aspect of the series that Yassin is particularly fond of is how it offers a modern take on the theme of revenge, which is a popular trope in film and television.

“The revenge theme has been done for years,” Yassin explains. “It's about entertaining people to watch something gripping, but at the same time, it's sending a message that once you start to only think about revenge, that is when you fail yourself. This is when you betray yourself. That’s the story of Yehia.”

Yassin says he was excited to take up the project – mainly because he was certain of Netflix’s quality standards, but also because he was keen to work with director Al Sadeer Massoud.

“I’ve always respected Al Sadeer’s work,” Yassin says. “His visual atmosphere is quite intriguing for me. It’s new to me and it suits Netflix.” The actor, who is famous for his roles in Suits and Bi 100 Wish, says he spent considerable time with Massoud, going over the script and analysing the character of Yehia.

"I enjoyed it," he says. "And it's an ongoing search to find where you're going with it, until you’re ready in front of the camera.”

AlRawabi School for Girls star Rakeen Saad also has a major role in the series, taking on the role of Leila, Yehia’s younger sister.

“Leila is the youngest girl in the family,” Saad tells The National. “When the incident happened, she was really young, so she can't really remember it.”

Yet, the story of her sister’s murder grips her all the same. In some ways, Leila is a representation of the series's audiences, Saad says.

“She's a curious person. She wants to know the truth, and she she wants to know everything,” she says. “When I was reading the script, I was like, ‘I want to know what's gonna happen’. Who killed her. It was like me and Leila, both of us, we want to know who killed her. I feel like it's also how the audience is going to be.”

Saad says preparing for the character was different from her other roles, namely in how she had to train in rowing, as Leila is a professional in the sport. “I'd never even thought about learning rowing,” she says. “It was difficult. Being able to balance the paddles, you need a lot of muscles.”

Like Yassin, Saad says she is excited to see how audiences will react to Echoes of the Past. Even for those who had seen the original Mexican series, the concept may be similar, but the roster of characters and the plot line has been developed with the region in mind. "It is the same concept, but it was more adapted to us, and to our culture."

Echoes of the Past is now streaming on Netflix