Dominican Environmental Short Films and ReCrearte Workshops go to Cuba

March 30, 2016

Three Dominican environmental short films will participate in the “Festival Internacional del Cine Pobre” in Gibara-Holguin, Cuba, to be held from April 20 to 24, 2016: GFDD’s shorts Value of Life and Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience; and 7 Grams (winner of the Premio Globo Verde Dominicano 2015). In addition, as part of the programming of the Cuban festival, Bertha Santana will host recycling workshops for children, youth and adults in the community, as part of GFDD´s program ReCrearte.

The Dominican program is brought to the Cuban Festival thanks to the Dominican Republic Film Festival (DREFF) and the existing Alliance with the Cuban Institute of Art and Cinematographic Industry (ICAIC for its acronym in Spanish).

The Festival Internacional de Cine Pobre, founded by Humberto Solás, is one of the most popular events within the alternative cinema circuit. Usually held in the city of Gibara, has been dedicated since its first edition in 2003 to films made with a budget of less than 300,000 dollars. “It was born in order to encourage the production of a legitimate cinema, involved and mobilizing, highly aesthetic and ethical, and humble in their elaboration, oblivious to any cultural elitism and proponent of an interaction between the diverse communities,” as the organizers state.

About the movies

Value of Life
This production, directed by Natasha Despotovic, is GFDD”s most recent short movie. Historically, little value is placed on natural capital when looking at growth equations and socioeconomic development. It is difficult for big businesses, and more so for ordinary people, to quantify the significance of natural resources and make the value of nature tangible in our daily lives. The production responds to those questions: How much is the natural capital of the Dominican Republic worth? How do we put a price on the ecosystem the planet has given us and that allows us to survive?
For more information

Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience
The Dominican Republic has more than 340 open-air landfills without any type of management or control, which have become highly-concentrated areas of air and water pollution. They are an unseen danger for every Dominican. Fortunately, the country is witnessing cultural changes which are creating initiatives that convert this “problem” into an opportunity for development. The message is clear: trash is no longer just trash, rather it has value. As long as trash can be utilized, it is not trash.The appropriate term is “discarded material,” a resource which is raw material and then turned into a new product. Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience, a film produced by GFDD/FUNGLODE, depicts how recycling has become an important economic opportunity for Dominicans. Through various corporate and educational projects, the viewer observes how– aside from the obvious environmental benefits– recycling enables economic development through the generation of new companies and industries. A short film which inspires, moves and calls to action.

Watch trailer

7 Gramos
This film is the winner of the 2015 edition of DREFF’s Globo Verde Dominicano Award (part of the DREFF programs) and is based on a true story.
The story takes place in a small rural community in the Dominican Republic, and recounts the life of a Hispaniolan Emerald (one of the smallest birds in the world, endemic species) who decides to build her nest and lay her eggs in a support pillar of a school building under construction. After two weeks, her little chicks hatch. Along with their mother, the chicks begin their daily routine. Meanwhile, the construction workers, in order to finish their job, must decide whether to leave the birds’ nest where it is, or remove it.

About Dreff
Since its creation 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) – an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) -has been providing Dominicans with a platform of knowledge and debate on the environment and sustainable development, along with its challenges and best practices while celebrating the unique beauty and wealth that is the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage.

Related Links:
www.dreff.org
http://globoverdedominicano.org/
http://festivalcinepobre.cult.cu/