Several venues around the country welcome the Film Festival with spectacular events.
By I. Herrojo, C. Abreu & B. Rosado

Santiago, Puerto Plata and Nagua, three of the host cities of the III Dominican Republic Global Film Festival along with Santo Domingo and Cap Cana had their magic night this past Tuesday November 17 with the inauguration of the Festival in each locale. The opening ceremony in Santo Domingo, which marked the official opening of the international film festival in the Dominican Republic, was held Wednesday at the National Theater in the country’s capital with the screening of the film Touched and an homage to legendary Egyptian actor Omar Sharif. 

Santiago
In Santiago, the opening film was Josh Crook’s La Soga (The Rope) with its Dominican flavor and special homage to the Dominican Ciudad Corazón, birth place of actor Manny Pérez, who created this story after seven years of research and reading. The story left a deep impression when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and it left audiences in Santiago speechless yesterday.

Manny Pérez, Miguel Ángel Martínez, Juan, Fernández, Jaime Whitlock, Alfonso Rodríguez, Carmen Milagros Brugal, Vianney Méndez, Cruz Monty, José Bordás Sansón, Fernando Luisiano and Paoli Méndez, along with their friends and family attended the screening. There were also plenty of special guests including: Rafael Lantigua, Minister of Culture; Humberto Peralta, Rector of the CURSA; Enegildo Peña, Deputy Minister of Culture in Santiago and Francisco Domínguez  Brito, Senator for Santiago.

Prior to the screening of the film, Yamile Eusebio, Director of Events for the Fundación Global , thanked the people and city of Santiago for its warm welcome and for the efforts made every year to make the festival the success it is.  Following her, Rafael Lantigua spoke on the importance this event for the country as well as for its film industry. “Unfortunately, the big producers and directors we have are not in the mainstream film circuits.” Lantigua stressed that it was “an honor for the city of Santiago to be inaugurating the Festival especially today because it coincides with the approval of the new Film Law that we have been waiting so long for” in the Chamber of Deputies.  He called on the Senate to approve all the points of the legislation so that “it can provide support for the efforts being made in the film industry of the Dominican Republic.”   

Finally it was Manny Pérez who took the stage and introduced the film. “You are here to see the film and I want to make that happen. We were in Toronto, the biggest international film festival in the world, but today we’re here in Santiago, with my people.”  

When the film ended, the auditorium exploded in rousing applause. The lively and grateful crowd gave the film a standing ovation in a sincere expression of respect. The applause went on for so long that the Dominican actor was visibly moved. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment that brought all of the actors onto stage.   

During the time reserved for audience commentaries and questions, there was an outpouring of praise for Manny Pérez. “What makes you so special is that you come from Hollywood, where you’re surrounded by movie stars, back to your people, this shows that you haven’t forgotten us,” said one person. Two questions were put to Pérez: how did the creation of The Rope come about and is there any concern or fear of having painted this portrait of Dominican social reality?  To the first question, he responded that the idea came through research of real cases, not just in the Dominican Republic but also in countries like Colombia, the United States and China where, when he mentioned his ideas to others, he would often here: “But that happens in my country too!” In terms of being afraid to describe Dominican reality, the answer was “No, it is a movie, everyone paints a portrait through their films. This also happened in the City of God, which is what inspired me.”

Manny Pérez bid farewell to the audience until this Saturday, November 21 when his film will be shown again at the National Theater in Santo Domingo.

Puerto Plata
In the northeastern coastal city of Puerto Plata, the hearty laugh for which Dominicans are known resounded through the auditorium of the Regional University Center of the Atlantic (CURA) with the opening of The Maid, by Chilean director Sebastián Silva. The film kept the residents of Puerto Plata pleasantly entertained for an hour-and-a-half starting at 8:00 pm.

The event was presided over by one of the actresses, Andrea García Huidobro; Asunción Sanz, Director of Promotion and Marketing for the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development and Román Racero Lantigua, Director of CURA.

CURA Director Racero Lantigua, in the keynote speech, congratulated the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo for putting the Dominican Republic on the huge celluloid map of the film industry. “It is a promotional activity of Dominican creativity.” 

One of the film’s actresses then took the stage. “I congratulate the Dominican Republic for its organization, respect and harmony. I have never felt so comfortable in any country as I feel in this one,” said Andrea García Huidobro, who played Camila in the film. The young actress smiled emotionally as the crowd applauded euphorically. 

Ms. García Huidobro, simply dressed, seemed to be filled with a trust and affection toward the audience, which approached her for autographs and photos. 

The great granddaughter of Chilean poet Vicente Huidobro, noted that the Dominican public is very cheerful. “With your smiles, you awakened many emotions in me. I didn’t know that Dominicans laughed so much,” said the 25-year-old Huidobro.    

She pointed out that The Maid is based on a true story that occurred in the life of the film’s director. She said the film was shot at the home of the director and script writer’s father because they were working with a very low budget.  Nevertheless, she added, the film has surpassed the expectations of the actors and producer with the success it has achieved.

The event concluded with a fireworks display attended by Heridania Llibre, the Governor of Puerto Plata; René Merette, Regional Director of the Ministry of Culture; Juan Pablo Plácido, Deputy and Vice President of the PARLACEN in the DR and René Balbuena, representative of the Social Forum, among other invited guests and students from the Regional University Center of the Atlantic.

Nagua
In Nagua, in the country’s north east, the opening ceremony was also a huge success celebrated at the Regional University Center of Nagua (CURNA). A full auditorium enjoyed the screening of Sin Nombre, a story of the crude reality of crimes, robbery and assaults that go on in different neighborhoods and cities in Latin America, especially Central America. The film reveals the trials and tribulations faced by people who try to get into the United States illegally.
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunagua, the film won the Excellence in Directing Award and Excellence in Cinematography Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. And it captivated the audience in Nagua.  

The inaugural act was attended by Hollywood film star Michael Madsen as well as many local authorities such as the Governor of the province Aristides Victoria Yoep; the Director of the Educational Center, Ramón Enríquez Amparo; Domingo Guerrero, National Director of Provinces of the Culture Ministry; Julián Guzmán, Provincial Director of Culture and Marco Herrera, Executive Director FUNGLODE, representing the Festival organization. At the end of the event, there was a toast to all in attendance and the final act was a spectacular fireworks display.‏