GFDD and FUNGLODE Dominican Film Showcase to Screen in New York’s Upper West Side

Tuesday April 29th, 2014

New York, April 29, 2014

GFDD and FUNGLODE will host a three day Dominican Film Showcase Program (DFS), May 21-23 2014 in partnership with Symphony Space, a performing arts center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York. The opening night film on May 21 will showcase an action drama entitled “Biodegradable”, followed the next day, May 22, by an inspiring documentary “The Mountain”. The DFS will close on May 23 with Dominican musical “Sol Caribe”. The screenings, which each start at 6:30pm, present an opportunity to discuss the DR’s civic values, traditions, and music which are fast becoming part of the cultural composition of the US and other countries where Dominican populations are present.

 

The DFS launches with the film Biodegradable, an action documentary directed by Juan Basanta, which covers the situation in Latin America in 2031 where  far reaching changes have since occurred. Various global crises put an end to the current unstable political system,  leading to a new form of government development. The film presents the human evolution of how political and economic interest can distort and  lead to unintentional consequences.

The second night film, La Montaña (The Mountain) documentary drama by film directors, Tabaré Blanchard and Iván Herrera  is about the first Caribbean expedition to reach the summit of Mount Everest. A motivational film that captures Dominican mountaineers Iván Gómez, Federico Jovine and Karim Mella on their way to plant the Dominican flag on the highest summit on Earth, and thereby inspire a new generation of adventurers in the most unexpected of places.

The third and final film in the sequence, Sol Caribe — as depicted by director  Félix Limardo – shows how the music of the Dominican Republic is a gift to the world. These influential rhythms and melodies have been exported by tens of millions of people across the Americas, Europe and Asia.  In the course of a journey through the DR, accompanied by 12 representatives of this music genre, Sol Caribe showcases the various styles and sounds  through the eyes of the artists and musicians who promoted them. By showing the personal stories and performances from the best players of Dominican music, the film explores how these popular rhythms were conceived and exported worldwide.

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development aims to showcase a sample of the best films produced recently in the DR, by Dominican filmmakers, about Dominican topics, with the intention of capturing a well-rounded and positive view of the country. The objective of these screenings and subsequent discussion with the film’s makers  affords an opportunity to correspond with the creative individuals behind the subjects and characters depicted in the films.

Date: May 21-23, 2014
Nightly at 6:30pm

Film: Biodegradable
Date:  Wednesday, May 21, 2014 (Opening)
Director: Juan Basanta; Genre: Drama, action; Length: 96 mins

Film: La Montaña (The Mountain)
Date: Thursday, May 22, 2014
Directors: Tabaré Blanchard / Iván Herrera Genre: Docudrama: Length: 90 mins

Film: Sol Caribe
Date: Friday, May 23, 2014 (Closing)
Director: Felix Limardo Genre: Documentary/musical Length: 90 mins

Location: Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway (at 95th St.),
New York, NY 10025-6990

Related Links:
www.dominicanfilmshowcase.org
http://www.symphonyspace.org/home