Dominican Women in New York Await the Premiere of "La Novia del Atlántico
Actress Celinés Toribio makes her directing debut with a drama on gender violence shot in Puerto Plata. Dominican women in New York are already asking to see it.
Key points
- Celinés Toribio directs and stars in "La Novia del Atlántico" alongside filmmaker Vicente Peñarrocha.
- The film follows Laura, who returns from New York to Puerto Plata and uncovers the abuse suffered by her friend Evelyn.
- The movie was presented at a press conference at Novocentro in Santo Domingo; it is produced by Esencia Films.
- According to the production, about 90% of the film's crew are women.
Dominican women living in New York who have experienced gender-based violence, and who prefer to keep their names private, have expressed their wish to see the film "La Novia del Atlántico" soon in the Big Apple. The film is directed by actress Celinés Toribio and filmmaker Vicente Peñarrocha, according to El Dia.com.do and El Nuevo Diario.
After years playing characters in front of the camera, Toribio makes her directing debut with this drama. The story begins with the discovery of abuse that transforms the lives of three women and sparks an initiative that ends up involving an entire community.
Explaining the origin of the film, Toribio said: "We can share a table, a conversation, or years of friendship with someone without imagining what they are living behind closed doors. Cinema lets us approach those realities that so often remain silent." According to the actress, the project shows a woman's suffering, but also the choices of those who decide to stand by her.
In the plot, Laura, played by Toribio, returns from New York to her hometown of Puerto Plata to rebuild her life. There she discovers that her friend Evelyn, played by Sandy Hernández, is in a relationship marked by mistreatment. What begins as a worry between friends grows into a community-wide concern.
The film was recently presented at a press conference at Novocentro in Santo Domingo, where details about its release in Dominican movie theaters were shared. The screenplay is by Toribio and Peñarrocha together with Alejandro Andújar. The cast includes Cheddy García, Sandy Hernández, Iván Sánchez, and Zoe Martin Lachapell, among other figures. The film was shot mainly in Puerto Plata.