HI, I'M FEDE,
CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND CRITICAL OPTIMIST.

Up until October 2021, I was Managing Director on the first public TV channel for children and teenagers of Perú.

Working for the state in a very conservative country like Peru was a fantastic experience, in more ways than one. But there is a phrase that I hear often, and has always caught my attention.

“A program on sex education? Are you sure? This is not Sweden”. “A content for children about their emotions? What's educational about it? This is not Sweden”. “An animated series with 5 minute chapters? With that money we make a one-hour magazine! You know… this is not Sweden."

I get the reference. Yes, Peru is not Sweden. What I don't get, is why someone wouldn't want to be, at least a little bit, like Sweden. A country with great social equality, extremely low levels of poverty, and one of the best educational systems on the planet. What part of all that would we NOT like to have?

I could answer and argue every time someone reminded me that Perú is not Sweden. Instead, I prefered to use that time to work, and continue playing to be a little bit like the country we could be.

In other words, I prefered to play Swedish.

(*)In spanish, the expression "playing Swedish" means playing the ignorant.