New Netflix Drama Explores Kidnapping in 1960s Mexico

Mexico City, Mexico – Netflix has premiered a new limited series, “No One Saw Us Leave,” based on the memoir by Mexican author Tamara Trottner. The drama, set in the 1960s, follows Valeria Goldberg, a young wife and mother who teams up with an ex-Mossad agent to locate her children, who have been kidnapped by her husband, Leo Saltzman.

After an arranged marriage to Leo, described as a golden cage, Valeria finds herself shunned by her tight-knit Jewish community when her husband decides to take their children abroad without informing her. As he relocates the kids to Paris, Valeria is left heartbroken and desperate to find them.

“The kids will be better off far from here,” Leo coldly tells Valeria before dragging their two young children, Isaac and Tamara, away. Following this betrayal, Valeria enlists the help of Elías, a former intelligence agent, to track her family across various countries.

Set against a backdrop of social norms and familial expectations within an affluent Jewish community, the series explores the themes of motherhood, love, and the lengths one will go to for family. As Valeria pursues her husband and children, she faces obstacles not only from Leo and her in-laws but also from the very community that once supported her.

Trottner’s memoir recounts similar childhood trauma, where she and her brother were taken from their mother without warning for three years. With quotes like, “I have just turned five. This is the last day of my childhood,” the story highlights both personal and collective struggles within oppressive social structures.

The series, directed by Lucía Puenzo, delves into not just a mother’s incessant chase but also the patriarchy and generational tensions of that era in Mexico. Puenzo noted that the story reflects on the timeless question of how far a mother’s love can stretch.

With Tessa Ia portraying Valeria, Emiliano Zurita as Leo, and Juan Manuel Bernal as Samuel, the series has garnered attention for its production efforts, filmed over six months in Mexico, France, and South Africa.

No One Saw Us Leave is now available for streaming, promising a gripping narrative of betrayal and resilience that holds historical significance and emotional depth.