The film, directed by the journalist, documentary filmmaker and radio and television producer, Amelia Deschamps, was the first screening of the Dominican Film Series offered every February by the León Center in its Cine Club.
In the first installment of the Dominican Film Series, on Tuesday, February 6, more than 150 people gathered at the Hermanos León Asensio auditorium of the León Center to enjoy this screening.
Luis Felipe Rodríguez, manager of Cultural Programs, welcomed the meeting that allowed attendees to learn first-hand about Deschamps’ experience in directing this film.
“In Search of the Blue Heart has been an official selection for film festivals such as the Orlando Film Festival, Fine Arts Film Festival, Florence Film Awards, DOC NYC and Dominican Film Festival of New York 2023,” highlighted José D’ Laura, Cinema facilitator. club, before the presentation.
With a duration of 21 minutes, it tells the intimate journey to the soul of artisanal mining in the Dominican Republic, portrayed through the story of Daniel, a dedicated father who risks his life daily in the depths of the Los Chupaderos mine in search of Larimar, a semi-precious stone with an intense light blue color that only exists in the country.
The director, who at the end of the screening spoke with the attendees, noted that “It gives me great satisfaction to show this first work in Santiago, because it is our story. By exploring Daniel’s life, I immerse myself not only in the mine, but also in the mentality of those in charge of extracting our national stone, which does not occur in the country, but on that mountain in Barahona. Furthermore, she indicated that In Search of the Blue Heart was her thesis work, and that through it she learned another way of telling stories about the social issues that have always motivated her work.
The meeting was attended by film professionals, journalists, film buffs, students and the general public. The cycle continues on Thursday the 8th with the Pride of Quisqueya presentation. It tells the story of a group of Dominican migrants, who thanks to their talent have achieved success abroad.
About Amelia Deschamps
Journalist, documentary filmmaker and radio and television producer, with more than 20 years of experience. She won the award for Best Host of a Panel Program 2020, at the Primero de Agosto Awards, for her work as host of the morning television program El Día, which she co-hosted for 10 years, until 2020.
She is a professor in the master’s degree in Corporate Communication at the PUCMM, has a specialty in documentary filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, in New York, and is a member of the International Association of Documentalists.
With a solid professional career, Deschamps has worked as a television presenter and producer for two of the most recognized national news channels and/or services, Noticias SIN and CDN Cadena de Noticias. Simultaneously, she worked as an investigative journalist for the television program El Informe con Alicia Ortega, an investigative journalistic program that has received several awards both inside and outside the country.
