The Dominican film industry is just now beginning to emerge from the undergrowth of economic instability. The history of Dominica film lies in documentaries completed during the early 1920's, and then a gap of nearly 50 years when no true creative film was produced in the country. After Rafael Trujillo was assassinated, the arts were allowed to evolve once more. After the turn of the 21st century, American film companies began to film their movies in the Dominican because it was cheaper than other areas. Since 2005 interesting dramatic stories have been put to the screen, not all of them have been based on American tales.
La Hija Natural or The Love Child is the story of a young Dominican woman, Maria, whose mother has recently passed away. Not yet willing to live on her own, she seeks out the father she never met and who apparently has no interest in her. Maria eventually locates her father living in near poverty on an abandoned banana plantation. He is not receptive to her presence, but they begin to strike up a tentative relationship. Maria is of the age where love is exciting and new, thus the arrival of a handsome young man in the village captures her attention. They strike up a relationship, much to the disapproval of Maria's father. Around the same time, bizarre ghostly things begin to occur on the plantation.
The core plot of the film may be as old as the hills, but the additions of Dominican historical and cultural elements make the story all the more intriguing. For example, the colonial history of the island of Hispaniola includes thousands of plantations and slaves. When slavery was abolished, much of the labor disappeared and landowners were forced to abandon their plantations. Banana, coffee and sugar cane plantations were particularly numerous in the Dominican, so it is not surprising that Maria's father is found squatting where industry once prospered.
As mentioned, slavery was abounding in the Dominican Republic during its history. Historians estimate more than 60,000 slaves once worked on the eastern part of Hispaniola. Most were forcibly brought from various African regions, as well as South America and other Caribbean islands. With all these cultural traditions coming together, a unique set of spiritual beliefs emerged. African folktales combine with Taino Gods, and Catholicism brought by Spanish missionaries all made their mark. The ghostly manifestations and visions witnessed by Maria and her father are deeply rooted in the Dominican spiritual belief system, thereby adding another layer of intrigue.
La Hija Natural was released in March of 2011. There has been such a positive response to the movie; it was submitted as the Dominican entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards.
La Hija Natural or The Love Child is the story of a young Dominican woman, Maria, whose mother has recently passed away. Not yet willing to live on her own, she seeks out the father she never met and who apparently has no interest in her. Maria eventually locates her father living in near poverty on an abandoned banana plantation. He is not receptive to her presence, but they begin to strike up a tentative relationship. Maria is of the age where love is exciting and new, thus the arrival of a handsome young man in the village captures her attention. They strike up a relationship, much to the disapproval of Maria's father. Around the same time, bizarre ghostly things begin to occur on the plantation.
The core plot of the film may be as old as the hills, but the additions of Dominican historical and cultural elements make the story all the more intriguing. For example, the colonial history of the island of Hispaniola includes thousands of plantations and slaves. When slavery was abolished, much of the labor disappeared and landowners were forced to abandon their plantations. Banana, coffee and sugar cane plantations were particularly numerous in the Dominican, so it is not surprising that Maria's father is found squatting where industry once prospered.
As mentioned, slavery was abounding in the Dominican Republic during its history. Historians estimate more than 60,000 slaves once worked on the eastern part of Hispaniola. Most were forcibly brought from various African regions, as well as South America and other Caribbean islands. With all these cultural traditions coming together, a unique set of spiritual beliefs emerged. African folktales combine with Taino Gods, and Catholicism brought by Spanish missionaries all made their mark. The ghostly manifestations and visions witnessed by Maria and her father are deeply rooted in the Dominican spiritual belief system, thereby adding another layer of intrigue.
La Hija Natural was released in March of 2011. There has been such a positive response to the movie; it was submitted as the Dominican entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards.
About the Author:
BookIt.com is an online travel company determined and dedicated to becoming the leader in providing travelers with the most intuitive online booking experience full of relevant information, helpful guides and travel tips. Find great deals on dominican republic all inclusive at BookIt.com!
No comments:
Post a Comment