SANTOS DUMONT, a six-part miniseries that tells the lesser-known history of the man considered to be the father of aviation – Alberto Santos Dumont, premieres on HBO Latino this coming Monday, November 11th at 8pm ET. The Brazilian miniseries will air on Mondays at 8pm and also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand, and Partners’ Streaming Platforms.

Santos-Dumont was a Brazilian inventor and aviation pioneer, one of the very few people to have contributed significantly to the development of both lighter-than-air and heavier-than-air aircraft. The heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers, he dedicated himself to aeronautical study and experimentation in Paris, where he spent most of his adult life.

In his early career he designed, built, and flew hot air balloons and early dirigibles, culminating in his winning the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize on 19 October 1901 for a flight that rounded the Eiffel Tower. He then turned to heavier-than-air machines, and on 23 October 1906 his 14-bis made the first powered heavier-than-air flight in Europe to be certified by the Aéro-Club de France and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. His conviction that aviation would usher in an era of worldwide peace and prosperity led him to freely publish his designs and forego patenting his various innovations.

Santos-Dumont is a national hero in Brazil, where it is popularly held that he preceded the Wright brothers in demonstrating a practical airplane. Countless roads, plazas, schools, monuments, and airports there are dedicated to him.

Exploring his days as a headstrong boy on his family’s plantation and time spent among the French elite in the Paris Aeroclub, the miniseries follows Santos Dumont, portrayed by Joao Pedro Zappa, as he makes a name for himself amidst a rapidly modernizing world. His ambitious spirit and love of flying allowed him to change the world as we know it, but the eventual use of his innovations in wartime came at a tragic cost.

SANTOS DUMONT is a fascinating glimpse into the life of the man who was on the vanguard of technological advancement and helped shape the 20th century.