Reseñas

NOWNESS

"“In the west of the Dominican Republic, the San Juan de la Maguana valley marks the geographical center of the island shared with Haiti. With its proximity from the Haitian border, and the indigenous Taíno and African influences carried between them, this unique region has preserved many of the ancestral traditions practised here through history – its urban center of the same name referred to as “the wizards’ city” for the lasting presence of vudú, and annual processions tied to the folklore and spiritual practice that surrounds it.

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Sourcing inspiration from her home region, Dominican director Manuela Hidalgo merges ethnography with fiction in experimental short film Vidalita. Shot against the verdant natural landscape of San Juan de la Maguana, Hidalgo captures the essence of a place where history and modern influence hold equal standing in the present, and ancient music, beliefs, and healing rituals collide with Catholic spirituality.

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Reflecting on interactions between nature and human beings, and nature’s imprint on internal processes, Vidalita poses each of its characters as a symbol of a young person’s inner crisis. Elevating sounds from the environment, chants, and drum beats as a transportive device threaded to each character’s emotional state, Hidalgo explores the power of nature as a conduit for rediscovering our origins, looking inward to the connection the earth offers to the past, and the rituals of her island’s history." 7 june, 2023