Anthony Santos stars film ADN de la Bachata
The film “ADN de la Bachata” starred by Anthony Santos, entered a new phase, following the announcement that experienced Colombian filmmaker Liliana Bocanegra directs the films.
Víctor Minaya, president of the ADN Films company, explained that the movie is expected for release within a year.
“We intend to make a cinema of international quality. We have closed an agreement with the prominent Colombian director Liliana Bocanegra, who has made, among other productions, La Vida de Celia Cruz or Doña Bella. It is an alliance with foreign and Dominican technicians. The filming is expected to end this August and includes the filming of scenes abroad, for which we are seeking the collaboration of the Ministry of Tourism, as well as the Ministry of Culture”, he said.
“ADN de la bachata” (Bachata’s DNA) will be shot under the legislation to promote cinema and has a budget of 98 million pesos, however, they require additional resources because filming abroad considerably increased expenses.
The project’s objective is to contribute to the promotion and international consolidation of the music genre, as bachata was declared by UNESCO as Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
He also recalled that after a visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, while attending a concert hall to witness a Tango show, it was there that the idea came to him, initially to make a documentary or a film.
“Tango has a similar origin to bachata because they were not genres considered for a high social elite. However, in the case of tango, when it manages to impose itself, Argentine society embraces it and turns it into its country brand. That is what we want to do because there is a whole economic and cultural movement”, he commented, referring to the first steps he took to work on the script.
From that on he assembled the team to develop the idea. He visited Spain and other nations to learn about the presence of bachata. “The bachata festivals in Spain were vital to put together the project, with the aim of telling the history of our genre and thus being exported as a country brand.”
Starred by Anthony Santos
The popular bachatero Anthony Santos was selected to be the star figure of the film, for being a reference to what bachata is today.
“Anthony Santos comes from extreme poverty and became quite a phenomenon, with the particularity that he has influenced young performers of the genre. When we raised the idea with him, he immediately accepted it because he saw in it the possibility of internationally promoting bachata in a movie”, he said.
The production team held a bachata contest to capture dancers and also asked the Dominican National Congress to declare Anthony Santos and José Manuel Calderón as cultural ambassadors for the country.
“That proclamation is almost ready and we are waiting for the event to be organized by the authorities of the Chamber of Deputies. In New York, August 8th was instituted as Anthony Santos Day in that city”, he commented.
