Nadie Nos Vio Partir (No One Saw Us Leave) is based on Tamara Trottner’s real experience of being kidnapped as a child. Trottner wrote her story in a book by the same name, which directors Lucía Puenzo (XXY), Nicolás Puenzo (La Jauría), y Samuel Kishi (Los Lobos) have now adapted into Netflix’s latest Mexican series.

Published in 2020, Nadie Nos Vio Partir established Trottner as one of the key figures in contemporary Mexican publishing. “On my fifth birthday, my dad kidnapped me and my brother to get revenge on my mom. For two years, we traveled the world… and our perception of life, childhood, love, and security was colored by this experience,” she explained to Que Leer Libros. Writers and critics, including Ángeles Mastretta and Alma Delia Murillo describe the novel as an intense and moving story, one of the best Mexican literary works of recent times.

More than 50 years after Tamara’s kidnapping, her story comes to Netflix. Filmed in Mexico, France, Italy, and South Africa, the five-episode adaptation is a profound exploration of human relationships and vicarious violence, which, in the words of the Complutense University of Madrid, “aims to harm women through their loved ones, especially their children.”

What Is Nadie Nos Vio Partir About? 

In Nadie Nos Vio Partir, Tessa Ía (De Brutas, Nada) y Emiliano Zurita (El Baile de los 41) play Leo and Valeria Saltzman, a wealthy couple in Mexico’s Jewish high society of the early 1960s. Their marriage falls apart, dragging their son and daughter into a bitter battle.

“Where are my children?” Valeria asks, sparking the miniseries’ painful spirit. Convinced that he has the superior moral strength and under the overwhelming influence of his father, Leo kidnaps his own children. He sees them as mere instruments to hurt and punish his wife, who, after years of marital dissatisfaction, took refuge in an affair. But things soon spiral out of control for Leo, and the “new beginning” he so desired turns into a devastating nightmare for the entire family, especially the children, who are torn from their normal lives and separated from their mother.

As expected, Tamara and Isaac’s kidnapping sparks a fierce personal and legal battle between Leo and Valeria’s influential families. Just like in the book, the plot keeps the audience in a state of anxiety and excitement as Valeria follows her husband’s clues. Ía, in the role of Valeria, brings great humanity to her character as she faces all kinds of setbacks and prejudices that test her strength and determination as a mamita.

Fortunately, directors the Puenzo brothers and Kishi are firmly committed to the facts and the complexity of human emotions or as Zurita told Milenio, “It was important to us that this story was not about villains and heroes, but about imperfect people who are trying to do their best and perhaps don’t have the right tools.”

For Ía, the adaptation of Trottner’s novel serves as a warning. “There are currently many examples of women tirelessly searching for their children… By putting [this form of gender-based violence] on screen, we hope that this will stop happening and that children will no longer be used as bargaining chips,” the actress told Swissinfo.

Written for television by María Camila Arias (Cien Años de Soledad) together with Big Drama (Ojitos de Huevo), Nadie Nos Vio Partir invites us to reflect on relationships of power and control, parents’ responsibility for their children’s well-being, the differences between who we are and who we aspire to be, and resilience and the power of healing.

So, Should I Watch It?

Overall, Netflix’s Nadie Nos Vio Partir honors the essence and tone of Tamara Trottner’s original work. The performances of its talented cast, the compelling visual design, and the contemporary relevance of its message make the series worthwhile and set it apart. It’s a family drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat, with moments of anguish, intensity, and reflection. Nadie Nos Vio Partir more than delivers, so don’t hesitate to press play.