Extraordinary Women (2009 film)
Encyclopedia
Extraordinary women: Women in time, women without it (Spanish
: Mujeres extraordinarias: Mujeres en el tiempo, mujeres sin tiempo); is a 2009 Dominican documentary feature by director Yildalina Tatem
Brache, where she captures the lives of six influential women from the Dominican Republic.
in 2006 she started researching and picking 12 women, to write a book about them. When she approached the President of the Dominican Telecom Institute José Rafael Vargas, for financing, he suggested to change the idea of a book towards a film, so it would reach a wider audience. Yildalina accepted and started developing the project. Reduced the number of women to 6 and in December 2008, the project was given the 'green light' and filming started in February and ended in March 2009. The editing process commenced on April and ended in August. Only to be edited furthermore in September and October 2009 for the 'extended and improved version'.
Gladys Gutiérrez fought against the Joaquín Balaguer
regime along with her husband Henry Segarra. After her spouse mysteriously disappeared, she was exiled and was relocated to Paris
, France
; and there she kept being vocal about her disapproval of the Dominican government. Because of this, she was subjected to many death threats after her fellow militants were murdered.
Josefina Padilla was the first woman candidate for Dominican Vice presidency. Before that she was one of the most notable opponents in Rafael Leonidas Trujillo's dictatorship, which resulted in her harassment from government officials, and the murder of her husband 'Papito' Sánchez.
Tomasina Cabral was brutally tortured during Trujillo's regime, she was the only known woman to have been subjected to that treatment at that time. She was also the friend who accompanied Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal
trough their time in jail. Sina discloses how she copes with the past, and how she still stands for human rights after what was done to her.
Dedé Mirabal is the second and only surviving sister
. Many describe her as 'The one that lived to tell the story'. She does not only speak about her sisters and the grief of losing them, she also expresses herself, and her own life. She fills in about what happened before and after her sisters' death, being joyful and also moving.
Mary Marranzini accounts for the difficult moments when her son fell ill from polio, and she had to fly to the United States
for him to get the treatment he required. After that, she decided to look for people who would help her build what is now The Dominican Rehabilitation Association which she has been running since 1959.
Ivelisse Prats was the first woman in Latin America
to be elected president of a political party. She is a proud member of the Dominican Revolutionary Party
(Partido Revolucionario Dominicano), nonetheless, she still harshly criticizes the corruption that some of the members enable and permit. She describes, as they all do, her family life. The loss of her mother at 17, and her marriage shortly after; how she fell ill from depression, tuberculosis
and anorexia
after a long period of work excess and fasting so she could be able to feed her children.
Dedé Mirabal was slated to be filmed on February 14, but due to previous commitments, she had to be rescheduled to Saturday, February 21. in Salcedo, Dominican Republic, at her home in Ojo de Agua, which was the same house she had been living in since birth, and the residence she shared with her sisters before murdered
. Ivelisse Prats was next, she was filmed in her own house in La Castellana, an upper middle class neighborhood in Santo Domingo
. In March Yildalina Tatem Brache held what would be the last interview for the documentary, with Sina Cabral, also in her home.
National Theater, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, approximately 1,250 people were in attendance.
The second screening was held at Don Bosco
Theater in Moca, Dominican Republic.
A slightly extended and improved version was presented at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo
, November 16, 2009.
This same version had 4 subsequent screenings, one in Santiago
, November 18, 2 at
the Dominican Cinémathèque, November 26 and 27, and another, November 30 in Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)
.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Mujeres extraordinarias: Mujeres en el tiempo, mujeres sin tiempo); is a 2009 Dominican documentary feature by director Yildalina Tatem
Brache, where she captures the lives of six influential women from the Dominican Republic.
Production
Yildalina Tatem Brache conceived the idea to make a project that illustrated the lives of women that have made substantial changes in Dominican history.in 2006 she started researching and picking 12 women, to write a book about them. When she approached the President of the Dominican Telecom Institute José Rafael Vargas, for financing, he suggested to change the idea of a book towards a film, so it would reach a wider audience. Yildalina accepted and started developing the project. Reduced the number of women to 6 and in December 2008, the project was given the 'green light' and filming started in February and ended in March 2009. The editing process commenced on April and ended in August. Only to be edited furthermore in September and October 2009 for the 'extended and improved version'.
Plot
The women all candidly speak about the hardships they have been through, about their present and what they expect for the future.Gladys Gutiérrez fought against the Joaquín Balaguer
Joaquín Balaguer
Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo was the President of the Dominican Republic from 1960 to 1962, from 1966 to 1978, and again from 1986 to 1996.-Early life and introduction to politics:...
regime along with her husband Henry Segarra. After her spouse mysteriously disappeared, she was exiled and was relocated to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; and there she kept being vocal about her disapproval of the Dominican government. Because of this, she was subjected to many death threats after her fellow militants were murdered.
Josefina Padilla was the first woman candidate for Dominican Vice presidency. Before that she was one of the most notable opponents in Rafael Leonidas Trujillo's dictatorship, which resulted in her harassment from government officials, and the murder of her husband 'Papito' Sánchez.
Tomasina Cabral was brutally tortured during Trujillo's regime, she was the only known woman to have been subjected to that treatment at that time. She was also the friend who accompanied Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal
Mirabal sisters
The Mirabal sisters were four Dominican political dissidents who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Three of the sisters were assassinated by unknown persons...
trough their time in jail. Sina discloses how she copes with the past, and how she still stands for human rights after what was done to her.
Dedé Mirabal is the second and only surviving sister
Mirabal sisters
The Mirabal sisters were four Dominican political dissidents who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Three of the sisters were assassinated by unknown persons...
. Many describe her as 'The one that lived to tell the story'. She does not only speak about her sisters and the grief of losing them, she also expresses herself, and her own life. She fills in about what happened before and after her sisters' death, being joyful and also moving.
Mary Marranzini accounts for the difficult moments when her son fell ill from polio, and she had to fly to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for him to get the treatment he required. After that, she decided to look for people who would help her build what is now The Dominican Rehabilitation Association which she has been running since 1959.
Ivelisse Prats was the first woman in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
to be elected president of a political party. She is a proud member of the Dominican Revolutionary Party
Dominican Revolutionary Party
The Dominican Revolutionary Party is one of the main political parties of the Dominican Republic. It has a moderate centrist position, social democratic in name. The party's distinctive color is white....
(Partido Revolucionario Dominicano), nonetheless, she still harshly criticizes the corruption that some of the members enable and permit. She describes, as they all do, her family life. The loss of her mother at 17, and her marriage shortly after; how she fell ill from depression, tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and anorexia
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
after a long period of work excess and fasting so she could be able to feed her children.
Filming & Locations
Shooting started Friday, February 6, 2009 at the Dominican Rehabilitation Association headquarters where Mary Marranzini was interviewed in the early hours of morning. The second interview (with Josefina Padilla) was held on that day's afternoon at her apartment. The next woman to be interviewed was Gladys Gutiérrez. The film crew arrived at her building at 9:00 in the morning Sunday, February 8, 2009. The shooting ceased at approx. 5:00 that afternoon.Dedé Mirabal was slated to be filmed on February 14, but due to previous commitments, she had to be rescheduled to Saturday, February 21. in Salcedo, Dominican Republic, at her home in Ojo de Agua, which was the same house she had been living in since birth, and the residence she shared with her sisters before murdered
Mirabal sisters
The Mirabal sisters were four Dominican political dissidents who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Three of the sisters were assassinated by unknown persons...
. Ivelisse Prats was next, she was filmed in her own house in La Castellana, an upper middle class neighborhood in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
. In March Yildalina Tatem Brache held what would be the last interview for the documentary, with Sina Cabral, also in her home.
Cast
- Gladys Gutiérrez
- Josefina Padilla
- Tomasina Cabral
- Bélgica Adela (Dedé) Mirabal
- Mary Pérez de Marranzini
- Ivelisse Prats Ramírez de Pérez
- Rosaflor Tatem Brache (Narrator)
Crew
- Written & Directed By: Yildalina Tatem Brache
- Assistant Director, Music Supervision & Co-editing: Edgar Tatem
- Editing By: Frank Durán
- Co-editors: Christian Mejía, Guillermo Herrera, Kenn Williams Herrera
- Cinematography: Ariel Mota
- Sound: Henry Valera
- Additional Recording/script revision: Dorian Castillo-Tatem
- Still Photography: Roberto Rochy & Johnny Rotestán
- Montage, Assistance: Pablo González & Gilberto Roques
- Make-Up Artist: Belkys Taveras
Premiere & Screenings
The Premiere for Mujeres Extraordinarias was held August 20, 2009 at the Eduardo BritoEduardo Brito
Eduardo Brito was a Dominican Baritone singer. He was world renowned for his voice and took to the stage in many countries performing operas and zarzuelas. The main hall of the Dominican National Theater is named after Brito....
National Theater, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, approximately 1,250 people were in attendance.
The second screening was held at Don Bosco
John Bosco
John Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th century, who put into practice the convictions of his religion, dedicating his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth and employing teaching methods...
Theater in Moca, Dominican Republic.
A slightly extended and improved version was presented at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo
Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo
The Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo is the public university system in the Dominican Republic with its main campus in Santo Domingo and regional centers across the Republic...
, November 16, 2009.
This same version had 4 subsequent screenings, one in Santiago
Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...
, November 18, 2 at
the Dominican Cinémathèque, November 26 and 27, and another, November 30 in Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)
Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)
Universidad Iberoamericana is a private, coeducational, university in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic....
.
DVD release
The extended and improved version will be released on a 2 disc special edition dvd that includes trailers for the documentary, photo galleries, behind the scenes footage, interviews and the women's respective biographies.External links
- http://www.myspace.com/mujeresextraordinariasdr Mujeres Extraordinarias: Official Myspace (Spanish)
- http://www.impawards.com/intl/dominican_republic/2009/mujeres_extraordinarias.html Mujeres Extraordinarias Posters
- http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D485D56C68AFAFF5 Trailer & Clips (Youtube)
- http://repeatingislands.com/2009/08/17/new-documentary-film-on-extraordinary-women-of-the-dominican-republic Article on "Repeating Islands"
- http://www.indotel.gob.do Dominican Telecom Institute (Indotel) (Spanish)