Photographer Obdulio Luna Dominican Republic
Photographer Obdulio Luna Dominican Republic
EDITOR’S NOTE
PLATFORM FOR CREATIVE MELTDOWNS
Welcome to issue number 6. It’s a very special issue because it brings CHANGE. We put a lot of thought and soul into designing publication that would be impressive and flattering to great images. So the layout has changed to accommodate the images and look beautiful when printed! Yes, this issue is available to PRINT! Other than that, the magazine is still about art, music, style and now even more about ISLAND LIFE. This time the main focus is Dominican Republic, with its gorgeous women, beaches and talent. Don’t forget to check out featured surf photographer - Obdulio Luna; his work is spread across the whole issue. All dance fans will have a ball in this one, find dancing stories told by Yuna & Berthon (NL) and dancehall choreographer Blacka di Danca from NYC. Not to forget lots of stories about the Dominican film delivered by befriended organizations – Caribbean Film Academy and Caribbean Creativity Foundation. To top it up we revealed a small secret of what’s coming soon. Bassculture Islands SPECIAL EDITION! Stay tuned!
Ania Orlowska
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CREDITS
Editor in Chief Ania Orlowska
ISSUE
6
Creative & Art Direction / Graphic Artist Kerron Riley Managing Editor Lina Komin Advertising & Creative Contribution Marko Depender www.bassculture.nl Film editor Emiel Martens Special thanks Trini Jungle Juice Caribbean Creativity ( www.caribbeancreativity.nl ) Caribbean Film Academy ( http://caribbeanfilm.org/ ) Bassculture Foundation Cover Photogapher: Kerron Riley Model: Janelle Hing
SUMMARY
Obdulio Luna
pictures spread across this issue
Berlin Carnival
Photographer Obdulio Luna Dominican Republic
46
Starlin Tatis
24
Khary Darby
Pedro Fernandez
52 Xavier Mu単oz Torres
120 30
16 Blacka di Danca
60
Yuna and Berthon
36 Leticia Tonos
68
this issue is available to pirint
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‘I could say I spent all my life in the water. I was born in the Caribbean, near by the sea. I have been surfing since I was twelve and became a surf photographer in 2004.
Dominican Republic
SURF PHOTOGRAPHY
OBDULIO LUNA
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER OF ISSUE NO 6
To be a surf photographer you need to know about surfing. It is preferable to be a surfer to understand how the waves behave. Actually, one need to understand the combination of wave/surfer interacting together. It is advisable to be a great swimmer too; sometimes you have to battle against the current and waves of size... not an easy task. In short, if you want to be s surf photographer prepare to be a good swimmer and have a good pair of swimming fins... Patience is a key; it takes a long time to get a great shot. Sometimes all depends on that perfect moment when things flow together, the surfer and wave connection - the magic moment. To get the perfect barrel shot it takes lots of dedication and of course the magic has to be done by the surfer and the wave. This is my dream job. My office is the beach! I have passion for surfing, for the ocean and I love to swim. I love this connection with the ocean, adrenaline rush and all the fun this job can provide.’ – Obdulio Luna
Photographer Obdulio Luna Dominican Republic
Basscultur Basscultur
ure Islands re Islands
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Pedro Fernandez Surfer Dominican Republic
Photography Obdulio Luna
Surfing Dominican Republic Dominican Republic is one of the best surfing places in the Caribbean; we have great surf spots with beautiful paradise around it and really good conditions for waves. It is worth coming to Dominican Republic to surf; In some spots of the island there is no crowd and you can surf by yourself or with a few friends. My favorite place to surf is Playa Encuentro; it has 6 different breaks, right and left waves along 2 miles of coast.
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Surfing and Art Surfing is an art. I’m also an artist and both give me the same feeling and inspire me to have my own style. Every surfer has their own way of riding the waves. The Lifestyle The best part of my lifestyle is being at the beach and enjoying Mother Nature. I never think about changing my lifestyle and I hope I can do it for the rest of my life. I want to keep helping the new generation become good people and future world champs.
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A day in the life of a Surfer My regular day looks like this: wake up early., eat, go for a run, get to the beach. Stretch. Go out for a surf session. Come out. Hang out with friends. Go out again to surf. Coach kids from the beach to get better in surfing. Do my daily training. Sometimes go for happy hour and night life in the town of Cabarete. Go to bed. Wake up to do my routine again.
About Pedro Pedro Fernandez is a 33 years old surfer from the Dominican Republic. He has been surfing since the age of 10. Awards: -Five times National Junior Champion -Two times National Man Champion -Three times Master of the Ocean Surfer -Two times winner of Ozone Classic at Nantucket Island
STARLIN TATIS Fashion On The Tropical island Model: AngĂŠlica De Los Santos
Location: Dominican Republic
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Model: Dulcita Lieggi
Model: Nicol Dosantos
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How does a typical Dominican beauty look like?
The beauty found on the island is amazing. We are an island with a variant and exotic blend. Predominantly black woman, but also features white people with black people, it is very interesting. I love the skin of black women here on the island, full of indescribable beauty that only the Caribbean can offer. The country has a lot of material for the international fashion market; it is appropriate to common world of modeling features. But sometimes it’s not easy to find girls who have what it takes to become a model. It is something that can be developed.
Model: Sheila Casado
What do you like the most about being a fashion photographer on the tropical island? The weather. It is almost always perfect; there are always sunny days, great for taking good shots. Depending on the time of year daylight is much extended, as is the case in the months of May and June. Not to mention the locations for the photographic work, we have many beautiful places on the island. Mythical and indescribably beautiful, natural areas never touched by man, resorts with very striking landscapes infrastructure. Many photographers from around the world come to the island for its landscapes of incredible beauty. I love everything about the island, from coast to coast.
Model: Zuleika Reyes & Mily Reuter Agency Ossygeno Models Management
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What about the state of fashion industry in Dominican Republic? The fashion industry is developing at a good pace. Many designers with great potential and talent have had appearances in various fashion events internationally and here on the island. I think that should receive more support than is given, as well as the seriousness that it deserves. Here on the island it is not very common to work and live from fashion. It is something that remains to be developed. Working with a local designer always seems to be a huge experience. I always feel grateful to be working with a Dominican designer. I believe in the talent.
Model: Nicol Dosantos
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Xavier A. Mu単oz Torres
Stencil Art Location: Puerto Rico
The Technique
How?
The technique that I use to create my work is called Stencil, in Spanish “estarcido”. Stencil is painting or tracing the negative area that you cut out with a knife from cardboard or paper. This is allowing you to have a template to reproduce the image in any way you like.
I take a drawing or an image and by using a registry I am dividing my art in drawn vectors. These vectors are drawn on cardboard dividing the lights and shadows. With a lot of patience and love I start cutting…for a long time. When my layers are cut out they are ready to be painted… it’s up to me if I paint it on the street or on canvas. The pieces dimensions go from 4 x 4 inches to feet high, you name it.
Why? I am coming from a background of being a traditional graphics student and practitioner. In the progress of working with wood cuts, etching, paper making, lithography and silk screening, I started producing this art. I always tried to produce something that would serve me as a template of my sketch. It’s really similar to silk screening method but with aerosol spray. Now I try to use the stenciling in 90% of my work, the other 10% is industrial paints mainly in murals and backgrounds. I started cutting in 2004; I used to cut a lot of patterns and used them as background for my work. Now everything around me I see in stencil layers.
Where? The pieces that I place on the streets are in the area of San Juan, Puerto Rico and all around the area on the island. Sometimes the wall or the space inspires me to do something on it or I just get there with my art and make it happen. What? I am a tool freak and I love what helps me do my job. The way I come up with my designs is inspired by my tools of trade. Also working with people’s faces inspires me to take a moment to step out of my reality and see it through someone else’s eyes. Through their face I see their reality. All this comes from Puerto Rican people and culture.
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TASTE BUDS CHOCOLATE Organic Wild Raw
Leliegracht 8 1015DE Amsterdam The Netherlands
Photographer Obdulio Luna Dominican Republic
Berthon & Yuna Dancing Away
Photography: Debra Barraud Location: The Netherlands
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Berthon Inquisitive, down to earth, social Started dancing at the age of 8 in Curacao. with dances like Waltz, Mazurka, Foxtrot and Folklore. At 15 he started to dance ‘Seu’ - A traditonal dance about the harvest season. At 18 he fell in love with Salsa. He moved to The Netherlands. and attended ‘Salsa Dance Academy’ where he learned salsa choreography. He joined the Salsa Dance Squad, one of the biggest salsa dance teams of The Netherlands at that moment. In 2010 he started dancing at VIP Dance where he met Yuna... and they fell in love.
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Yuna Flexible, creative and full of life. Started dancing at the age of 3 at dance school in Wageningen, The Netherlands. Went to Dance Academy (Artez) in Arnhem. (Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz and Folklore) Moved to Antwerp and danced at the ‘Hoger Instituut voor Dans’. Mainly contemporary dance, as well as exploring different styles like African dance. Ended up studying ‘Culture and Social Work’ and Yoga in Amsterdam. Started to dance salsa just for fun and dancing became more of a social and fun part in her life. She joined a salsa dance group called VIP Dance where she met Berthon. They became dance and life partners, Berthon & Yuna, now 5 years later…
„Next to salsa, we also dance Bachata, Merengue, Zouk, Contemporary and Tango. 4 Years ago, the new dance style kizomba became more popular in The Netherlands and we fell in love with it. Some people call it Angolese Tango. We mainly teach Kizomba classes at the moment. Besides Berthon & Yuna we started our own dance group ‘Catch the Mix’ together with Pasty, a very good zouk dancer from Curacao. We choreograph and perform dancing shows with ‘Catch the Mix’. And it’s all in the name; this is where all our dance styles come together.’
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Berthon, you come from Curacao, how did your Caribbean background influence you as a dancer?
Berthon: Everything is music in the Caribbean. That’s how I understand and feel the music easily and when the music hits me I just start moving. There are a lot of different influences in the Caribbean, African and South American, so we learn how to combine these influences in our dance. The African movements are more grounded and thankful. The Latin movements are where we use a lot our hips. And one thing of the Caribbean is that you are never too old or too young to dance. It is an expression of you and we learn how to communicate by dancing.
Yuna, you are Dutch, The Netherlands as whole is a big mix of different cultures and influences from every possible place. How did you get to be involved in these cultures Caribbean/Latin/African?
Yuna: I have always been very interested in different cultures. That’s why I studied ‘Culture and Social Work’. I got more familiar with the Latin culture when I started dancing salsa and bachata. In Amsterdam, there is the whole scene of Latin dancers and at one point it feels like one big dancing family. This style of dancing connects people and that’s why I love it. I got more familiar with the Caribbean culture when I went to Trinidad & Tobago for my minor studies in ‘International Social Work’. Even more when I
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went with Berthon to meet his family and culture on the lovely island of Curacao. On the island you can also find out and learn a lot about their African roots so when Berthon and I started to get to know the dance Kizomba we looked even more into the African culture. Through the different kind of dances we have got to see, feel and learn the differences and similarities between these cultures.
What is the difference between salsa and bachata as Latin dance and kizomba as African dance?
Berthon & Yuna: Latin dances involve more free movement in the hips. Kizomba is about cuddling, the connecting with the upper-body. That makes the leading and following different from the Latin styles. In salsa you have a lot of different styles and counting on the music. In Kizomba you also have a lot of different styles but the counting doesn’t change, because you don’t count with Kizomba. You follow the beat and rhythm.
Are there any differences between European ways of dancing to dances that come from the Caribbean? And does it apply to bachata for example? Berthon & Yuna: In Dominican Republic there is the Dominican Bachata. Unlikely in Europe, as in The Netherlands, you have a different style of bachata. The most schools teach bachata romantica, that is more likely bachata choreography. In Europe people make most dances more commercial,
they allow more different influences in the dance and create more personal styles. So that creates a lot of different styles of one dance. It’s not traditional bachata anymore.
What kind of characteristics does a person need to be a good, successful dancer? Berthon & Yuna: They need to have discipline, determination, passion, flexibility, an open mind and you have to believe in yourself.
Photographer Obdulio Luna Dominican Republic
Berlin Carnival
2015
ByTrini Jungle Juice
Photos and tips by Roopie
Location: Germany
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Do’s & Don’ts of Berlin Carnival DO’s
3. Do walk with your own alco-
holic beverages for the parade. The Carnival Committee does not 1. Do play mas with your best permit the band leaders to give out friends. If not your best friends then alcohol on the road. Now where is your next closest friends cuz this that old flask pouch thing my father thing called Carnival is enhanced had?!? when experienced with a group! 4. Do call Merle’s roti shop in 2. Do pick the mas band that suits advance and order your roti or your style - Carnival Explosion is peleau. If you wait till the parade strictly costumes and has ample se- done, well...food done too! SMH is curity so that paying masqueraders 3 years now food finish by the time can enjoy themselves fully. Carnival I reach. Fever has a costume option but the majority of revellers opt for T-shirts 5. Do save some energy for the and the band is open for anyone after parties. Yes - parties. You have to join in. Anyone = plenty plenty options and all of them involve people. soca. What more can you ask for?
1. Don’t forget
to prime up before the parade starts - this could be in your hotel room, or with the parked truck waiting for take off. Everything is just happier primed!
2. Don’t be
stingy with the bumsee/jam. A band’s vibes are best when there is lots of “loose” bumsees and plenty jam giving away. I not sorry! I have no apology!!
DON’Ts
3. Don’t forget to pace yourself. Getting drunk too early only means you will get parked up early o’clock and miss the free jam.
4. Don’t carry valuables unless
secured properly. Someone lost credit cards. Like seriously? Just take out some cash and keep 5. Don’t take the it safe. If it’s lost or stolen then trains when a cab is the story ends there unlike with easier. Especially don’t credit cards.... take the trains without a ticket and then get fined E40 during a random ticket check. Yes. This happened to me.
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KHARY DARBY The Cycles Of Life
Location:Jamaica
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‘I recall drawing as a constant obsession throughout my childhood. My later interest in painting was focused by an early introduction to the history of art. As a teenager I would often sneak into reference libraries at the University of the West Indies. I would go hunting for books on art and poetry or attempt to decode the odd philosophy tract. I remember books on the High Renaissance and the Baroque- I was immediately struck by the unbridled brutality and sensuality of the images. Titian and Caravaggio were especially transcendent for me: the violent compositions, the immediacy of expression, and of course the mystery of oil paint. But method was just a minor part of the fascination. I think that my interest in the Masters has always been “psychological”- that what is called the “unconscious” by Freud or the “numinous” by others is often powerfully embodied in the images. My work continues to be concerned with cycles of vulnerability and aggression; dissolution and reconstruction; creation and obliteration.’
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Copywriting . Photography . Consultancy . Graphic design . Web design . Social media www.dudesinyourface.com
BLACKA DI DANCA DANCEHALL MUSIC CHOSE ME Location: New York City
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You are a dancehall teacher and choreographer. Why did you choose dancehall to dance to? How did you start? I can’t say I chose dancehall to dance to… I have to say dancehall music chose me… the feeling I have when I dance to dancehall is a feeling I’ve never experienced… a deep, unexplained love. My mother and father are from Trinidad and Tobago, so I grew up completely engulfed in Caribbean culture. I was raised on Soca, Calypso, Reggae, Dancehall, Rockers, Roots, Paupers music etc.… Caribbean music has always been a part of my blood and soul. I can even look back at old VHS tapes of me in a diaper dancing to Calypso music (similar to Mento music from Jamaica). I started to take dancehall more seriously in my freshman and sophomore years of high school. My friends would see me dancing playfully to dancehall music and try to encourage me to put on a show at parties, but I was always very nervous and would run and hide every time I was put on the spotlight. My friends happened to be Deejays, so when we would party, they would get on the microphone and shout me out… telling everybody to watch me dance… and then I’d run and hide. This happened at almost every party for maybe a year. But during one party… they shouted me out, and I was in the middle of a big crowd…. And when I tried to run, the circle of spectators closed up on me…. Forcing me to dance. I had no choice but to just move to the music because all eyes were on me…. So I danced. And they liked it. Everyone clapped and smiled and buss “shots” for my danc-
ing. After seeing everyone’s reactions, I realized that this was something I should try to really take serious, so I started to watch Passa Passa tapes, YouTube videos, ask my Caribbean friends for dance moves, and I partied every day of the week (even on school days). That one day in the party when I was forced to let the music take control is the day that influenced everything after. A lot of times dancehall is associated with dancehall queens which includes lots of moves that men would not use in their dance set like head top for example. What’s the difference between men and women dancehall moves? Well, yes, a lot of times dancehall is associated with dancehall queens, but that is because dancehall started with the women. A lot of people don’t know that, but the woman originally controlled the dancehall. Women would come out in their sexiest outfits, Men would then make sure to be at the parties to not miss any opportunities to meet and greet with the beautiful women of dancehall. And even the first dancehall queen of Jamaica, Carlene, was one of the biggest influences of dancehall in Jamaica. Her dance, the “butterfly” was remixed into hip hop culture as the “tootsie roll” and her style and fashion still influences the dancehall today. Now, the difference between men and women dancehall moves are gender oriented. This means, Male dancehall moves are masculine.... showing off the strength of a man and confidence. Female dancehall moves are feminine and involve more whining
of the waistline and expressiveness of a woman’s curves. Moves are built from these two aspects: Masculinity and Femininity. Typical dancehall moves are usually influenced from everyday life in the islands. Dancehall is a culture…. Dancehall dance is just a part of the culture. Everything created in the dancehall is influenced from what is lived outside of the party…. And even often what is seen in the party. Nothing authentic in dancehall is fictional. So again, typical dancehall moves are what you live… and normally very easy to follow, because dancehall is from the community, for the community. You are a choreographer, when I think of dancehall choreography first picture that comes to my mind are the Jamaican guys doing a synchronized dance moves at the parties in Jamaica. Would you be someone who designs these types of dance moves? Yes, I am a choreographer, and yes, some of my work involves creating moves for parties. But there is a difference between a routine and choreography. A routine is a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program. This means that dance moves are sequenced in a repetitive format. Routines are what is normally scene in a dancehall party. Dance moves repeated again and again, for the crowd to understand and catch, and then the dance moves are switched, but this happens in one sequence. Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies
in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography uses a bit more detail to all of the elements of the music and more specificity of physical form than a normal routine. In choreography, you are designing from a format, but in turn, creating a new way to view that format. In a routine, you are placing normal and understood moves, repeatedly after each other. In parties, I create routines, which other dancers around me do follow, and they create routines in which I follow as well. The dancehall is a sharing place where we all contribute and execute for entertainment of the crowd. Personally I have been around reggae/dancehall scene for years. I’ve always thought that adding a dancer to a sound system performance might be beneficial. Considering your experience with Major Lazer, how do you think your presence on stage affects the crowd? I highly agree that adding dancers to performances of not only sound systems, but also artists is extremely beneficial to shows. It brings a different element but complimentary element of entertainment to the overall package. In sound systems especially, what good is music to dance to if there isn’t a dancer on stage? People want to see other people dance before they start dancing. That is a concept that I see in many dancehall parties I attend. Most of the time, I’d enter a party, and everyone is standing on the wall, but as soon as I start dancing, little by little, everyone comes off of the wall and joins
in. My experience with Major Lazer also attests to this concept. When I am performing on stage with Major Lazer, and I am leading the crowd in a dance, everyone joins in quicker than if a DJ just shouted out for the crowd to follow a dance without lead. When I’m dancing on stage, I often look into the crowd, and cellphones come out while smiles appear across the spectators. People love music, but more importantly, people love to see other people dance to music, whether for their amusement or their amazement. Dancehall is not the most popular of dances but you seem to take it around the globe and teach many people. How do you think the future for dancehall is shaping up in the world? What countries are the most responsive to this style? Dancehall is not the most popular of dances, but it has influenced the most popular of dances. Dancehall moves and styles are seen in numerous hiphop dances and music videos. Dancehall slangs are used in everyday life in many ghettos and dancehall artists are being sampled by the most popular DJs and hip hop artists. The task isn’t getting dancehall famous…. The task is to let the world know that dancehall is already famous, and utilized. The task is letting the world know that dancehall comes from Jamaica, that Jamaica is such an influential island and that the entire Caribbean is an influential and rich culture. The future for dancehall is bright, as bright as it has ever been! Worldwide, so many hip
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the young people who might be interested in learning this style. In the scale of 1-10 how hard is it to pick it up? What experience would be of use before starting? How long would it take for someone without experience to pick it up? Learning dancehall takes years, because learning dancehall involves being engulfed in the culture. It involves understanding not only the dance steps… but why you do certain dance steps to certain music. It involves knowing why certain dance steps were created, the attitude and personality of the creator, and the school it was created on (Old school, Middle school and New school). Learning dancehall involves living dancehall. It involves loving dancehall, and it involves understanding the Caribbean mindset and demeanor. Learning dancehall dances, on a scale of 1-10 is a 10. I give it a 10, because nothing great comes easy, and because dancehall, to me is the greatest and richest, learning it is the hardest. But in that same breath, on a scale of 1-10, the probability of you being completely in love with dancehall after you learn it is an easy 10. When you learn why and how to truly listen to dancehall music, dance to dancehall songs, and execute dancehall moves… it’s almost impossible to not be completely in love with the culture. Take a dancehall class! You don’t need any dance experience to learn dancehall dances; they are easy and simple to learn! But be open to taking the time to learn why and how they were created to Let’s talk about new comers to dancehall, be used. Dancehall is open to everyone who loves and respects the culture. hop artists are sampling and giving credit to dancehall, and even Major Lazer, being one of the pioneers of sampling from Reggae and Dancehall in the EDM world, is continuing to put the Caribbean on the map. Since the 1990’s, Japan has been the most responsive to dancehall style, with dancehall queens and male dancehall dancers rolling with top Jamaican dancers in the parties, even being part of their crews. Japan has a huge dancehall culture that respects Jamaican dancehall and Japanese dancehall crews are amazing! Next to Japan, New York City has had a huge dancehall response since the 1990’s as well and today, some of the most talented dancehall dancers outside of Jamaica reside and thrive in New York City. New York dancehall crews create their own styles, dances, and songs (as does Japan). I have to add that Russia is the most responsive country in the world to dancehall workshops. The most dancehall workshops are held in Russia and Russians are very dedicated to learning about dancehall. One more country in Europe, Sweden, to me has the most authentic dancehall style and dancehall crews. There are so many countries that respond very well to dancehall…. Honestly, almost every European country, African country, South American country and Australia has huge dancehall followings, amazing dancehall crews and host multiple dancehall workshops, but I can’t name them all and what they all bring to the table in one interview.
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Photographer Obdulio Luna Dominican Republic
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Brought to you by Caribbe an Cre ativit y & CARIBBEAN Film Academy
Leticia Tonos In Search of a Caribbean Film Language Location: Dominican Republic Interview by Emiel Martens
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Brought to you by Caribbe an Cre ativit y & CARIBBEAN Film Academy
Leticia Tonos is a celebrated upcoming filmmaker from the Dominican Republic. After graduating from the London Film School, she returned home with the ambition to tell stories about the island of Hispaniola, the Caribbean island that shares the Dominican Republic with Haiti. Her first film, La hija natural (2011, Love Child), became a huge critical success and her second film, Cristo Rey (2013), is quickly heading in the same direction. An interview with this talented and proud Caribbean woman. Many thanks for doing this interview with us. To kick off, could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers? I was born and raised in Santo Domingo. I got a pretty good education and had the opportunity to learn English and French at an early age. Later on, I studied Advertisement at the APEC University in Santo Domingo. When I finished university, I got the chance to start working in TV commercial production. It was not until 1994 that I got hired to work on a film called Azﾃｺcar amarga (Bitter Sugar, 1996). From that moment I was hooked. I just loved filmmaking and all the different disciplines it involves, so I decided to study film. You eventually went to the London Film School. Why did you choose London? And did you already have in mind to return to the Dominican
Republic to make films there?
for their political beliefs and the lack of education.
I spend a lot of time looking for the right film school for me, but when I saw the information of the London Film School, it was a click. I was looking for a practical, hands-on experience and that was the main component of their program. I arrived in London in 1998 and in two-and-a-half years I learnt absolutely everything within the field of filmmaking, from art design and set building to writing and photography. It was great. And yes, I always had in mind to return home, because I felt there were just so many stories to tell.
Around the same time, you became one of the founders of ADOCINE, the Dominican Association of Professionals in the Film Industry. Why did you decide to initiate this association? And what have been the main accomplishments of ADOCINE since its establishment? LT: Around 2005 a group of Dominican filmmakers came together in recognition of the need to start doing thing together and trying to give the film industry a formal shape. At the time nobody took us seriously, we were considered bohemians. So we had to do something. The main accomplishment of ADOCINE is definitely the film law. It is in great part due to our effort that we have now a film law that is not only benefiting foreign filmmakers coming to shoot here, but that also cares a lot for the local film industry.
Not long after your graduation, you started to work on your first feature-length film as a producer, the Dominican comedy Perico Ripiao (2003). How did you get involved in this project and what was the film about? I got involved through the director, ﾃ］gel Muﾃｱiz , who was a colleague and good friend of mine. We had done commercials together before. The team had great chemistry and when the time arrived for Perico Ripiao is was just gravity. Everything fell in the right place. The film became a wonderful road movie, a comedy taking place in the seventies, a politically complicated period in the Dominican Republic, with president Balaguer being under the wing of dictator Trujillo. So even though this was a comedy, Perico Ripiao touched on a lot of things going on at that time, such as people going to jail
In the early 2010s you wrote and directed your first feature film, La hija natural (Love Child, 2011), a supernatural drama set in the Dominican countryside about a young woman in search for her father. Why did you want to make a film about this subject? One of the main things I learnt in film school, was that simplicity is beautiful, that less is more. If you have a simple story, you can really go deep into it. I was thinking about this when developing my first film. Also, I wanted to do a film about the Do-
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Brought to you by Caribbe an Cre ativit y & CARIBBEAN Film Academy
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minican countryside, because it is a neglected but beautiful part of our country. Our roots lie there and since I am a bit of an obsessed freak of identity issues, I thought it was the right place to start. La hija natural received much critical acclaim at film festivals throughout the world and even became DR’s entry to the Academy Awards as best foreign film. How did you experience this success and what has it brought you? The success really took me by surprise. La hija natural was a very simple, intimate film, exploring the mystic things in our culture. When I noticed it attracted the interest of international audiences, I was of course very happy. For me the film not only represented local recognition, but also established me internationally as a filmmaker. Without La hija natural all these projects I am developing now wouldn’t have been possible. To this day, I am still screening La hija natural and always there is a synergy happening with the audience, whether big or small. It seems the magic on the screen somehow spans to the audience and I am really grateful for that. Your second feature film, Cristo Rey, came out in 2013. As the title suggests, this time you decided to set the story in Cristo Rey, a poor barrio in Santo Domingo, and to make it revolve around a Haitian immigrant living illegally in DR. You once called the film’s choice of subject, illegal Haitian
immigrants in the Dominican Republic, ‘unavoidable’. Why? When did you know that you wanted to do your next film about this subject? And how has the film been received in DR and Haiti when it came out in the theatres? I used the word ‘unavoidable’ because as a filmmaker, as an artist, you are exploring identity and that’s impossible without addressing the complex relationship we have with our Haitian neighbours. We are sharing an island and there has been a lot of conflict situations in the past and unfortunately still in the present. I wanted to talk about the subject, not from a political, economic or racial point of view, which is what always happens, but from a human point of view. By turning Cristo Rey into a sort of Caribbean Romeo and Juliet, the story became simply about love. Because of the challenging subject matter, it was a surprise for me to see the lines at the theatres in Santo Domingo. Unfortunately, in Haiti we have only been able to do two small-scale screenings so far. I am hoping that we are able to do proper screenings in the Haitian theatres soon. How would you characterize your filmmaking style? Do you consider this style to be distinctively Latin American or Caribbean – or both? This is a very difficult question for me, because I feel I am still exploring my style. But of course I am very proud to be Latin American and to be Ca-
ribbean. My objective is to find a Caribbean language that could go mainstream at the same time. It’s difficult, considering our condition as isolated, troubled islands, but it’s time. Latin America has managed to produced films that have been successful in the mainstream markets and it’s about time for the Caribbean now. I feel I’m still searching for that language and I hope with each film I’m getting closer. You are currently the president of film production company Linea Espiral. What are you plans for the future? Are you already working on your third film and if yes, what is it about? I am extremely excited about my next project. Right now I am starting pre-production of an animated feature film called Trinitarians. It’s based on our father figures and again explores our past and identity. It’s a Dominican-Cuban co-production, which is quite unique. We have a very artistic style, a distinctly Caribbean style I would say. I assure you that the DR and international audiences have never seen their father figures this way.
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Photographer Obdulio Luna Dominican Republic
Brought to you by CARIBBEAN Film Academy
The opening night film will be Sand Dollars, directed by Laura Guzman and Israel Cárdenas, and starring the legendary actress Geraldine Chaplin. The story centers on Noelí, a young Dominican girl, who looks for a way to make a living along the beaches at Las Terrenas at the expense of the tourists. Together with her boyfriend, Noelí sets up the plan to develop a relationship with a wealthy French spinster with the aim to get at her money. This film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. The closing night film was I Am Salsa: The Life of Johnny Pacheco, a documentary directed by Manuel Villalona that tells the story of salsa king Johnny Pacheco. In addition, the festival will screen 12 features, 37 shorts and explored themes such as Women in Film, Dominicans in the Diaspora, and Crazy Love. By Romola Lucas This year the Dominican Film Festival NY was held from June 24-29. It was the fourth edition of the festival and again showcased films made in and by filmmakers from the Dominican Republic. With this year’s slogan, ‘That’s The Way We Are’, the festival’s selections displayed the wide array of genres and unique voices in film being created by filmmakers from the Dominican Republic, speaking to the diversity in the culture. The festival will also feature acting and filmmaking workshops, along with a photo exhibition. Venues include the Alumni Auditorium at Columbia University, The Hall of Fame Theater at the Armory Foundation, and the Cominisionado Dominicano de Cultura en USA.
Brought to you by CARIBBEAN Film Academy
El Cast
Film Review by Roslin Khan and Romola Lucas The short film El Cast, with a writer from the Dominican Republic and a director from Trinidad & Tobago, represents one of the exciting aspects of Caribbean filmmaking today – the opportunities for cross-cultural storytelling leading to positive interactions between Caribbean countries with different cultures. The film is directed by Shea Best, a young, emerging director from Trinidad and Tobago, and was screened at the 2014 Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival.
the literary strategy of magical realism that originated in Latin America and allows for the inclusion of fantastic or mythical elements. The eeriness and tension are skillfully relieved by the catchy hip-hop tune, the bright sunshine and the hustle and bustle of everyday life as Jonas sets out to carry out his deliveries. The magical, fairytale aspects of the story are beautifully captured in colorful and sparkling images.
As evidenced by the bilingual title and subtitles, the filmmakers clearly attempt to reach out to children from both the English-and Spanish-speaking Caribbean. They succeed in telling a story that is different from their own experience, but similar enough to make the Caribbean feel like the melting pot it is. We hope to see many more productions coming out Written and produced for children, of the Caribbean representing what this El Cast is set in a low-income area in the Dominican Republic and centers film represents – a great collaboration around the survival skills of adults and to increase the diversity in Caribbean children alike. A single mother is forced storytelling. to resort to the sale of drugs to provide for her son, Jonas, who she exposes to danger at the same time by having him doing her deliveries. While this may sound like abhorrent behavior of the part of the mother, the film provides young viewers with the opportunity to empathize with her plight as well. The film’s plot brings to mind aspects of
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Yolanda
ing that the Spanish verb ‘andar’ means ‘to walk’, the name could be seen to symbolize boat-run, which is exactly what the main character decides to do.
The short Dominican film Yolanda has been recognized as one of the few films addressing the experiences of poor Afro-Dominicanos who start embarking on illegal boat trips to Puerto Rico from 1972 in the hope to get out of their lives of poverty in the Dominican Republic.
The film’s cinematography is fascinating, as it contrasts the beauty of nature with the ugliness of poverty. In an interview, Carretero said he wanted to ‘capture the spirit of the place and the people.’ At the same time, he aimed for ‘a slightly heightened tone, which becomes dreamlike and wondrous.” This, along with a few inserted clips, give the film its bittersweet vibe, one that appreciates the beauty in the natural environment in the Dominican Republic, while at the same time acknowledging the harsh reality of life on the island.
Film Review by Roslin Khan and Romola Lucas
Entirely filmed in DR and directed by New York-based Puerto Rican filmmaker Cristian Carretero, Yolanda tells the story of the sacrifices a single mother has to make in order to provide for her children and mother in the poor outskirts of Santo Domingo. Such sacrifices include having to All in all, though Carretero chose an decide whether or not to set out on one of emotionally-charged topic for his film, his storytelling skills and creativity in portraythe perilous boat trips. ing the scenery and directing the acting are The name of the main character, Yolanda, is well rewarded in this significant semi-historone of the most striking features of the film. ical production. It suggests a combination of ‘yola’ and ‘anda’. Historically, those who dared to undertake the journey to Puerto Rico did so in unreliable boats known as ‘yolas’. Consider-
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PhotographerObdulio ObdulioLuna Luna Photographer DominicanRepublic Republic Dominican