The following video documentaries were produced with the support of the Mariposa Cultural Foundation, as part of its mission to educate the public about issues related to human rights, and the rights of women, children, indigenous people and the environment. These videos all communicate these values to an international audience.
Code Name: Butterflies
Intrigue, courage, tragedy, and triumph… These are the words that best describe Code Name: Butterflies the first international documentary about the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic, written, directed and produced by filmmaker Cecilia Domeyko.
The one-hour feature tells the real story of Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal, three sisters who in the 1950s dared to form a resistance movement against Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, one of the most bloodthirsty dictators in Latin America. The dictator had them assassinated, but the Mirabals’ murder so enraged the country that Trujillo was assassinated, ending thirty years of torture, murder and abuse. Documentary Filmmaker Cecilia Domeyko interviewed over forty witnesses to this dramatic story of housewives who fought to bring back freedom and democracy to the Dominican Republic. She traveled around the country speaking to the Mirabal family friends, colleagues, co-revolutionaries and most importantly, their surviving sister, Dedé, who in the years since her sisters’ death has created a museum in their name. The Dominican Republic considers these women their national heroines, and has named streets, schools, institutions and even provinces after them. In 1991, the women were recognized internationally, as the United Nations designated the day of their death, November 25th, the “Day of Non-Violence Against Women.” Cecilia Domeyko took on this Dominican story because she felt that “it transcends national boundaries. It’s a universal story of people fighting for what they believe in.”
For private viewing |
For institutional viewing |
CUBA MIA: PORTRAIT OF AN ALL-WOMAN ORCHESTRA
Airing since 2003 on PBS stations across the United States, this multiple-award winning documentary, written, directed and produced by filmmaker Cecilia Domeyko was shot on location in Havana Cuba, and the United States.
The video captures a musical Cuba you may never have seen before. It is the story of the musicians of the Camerata Romeu, an all-woman orchestra let by Zenaida Romeu, one of the world’s most gifted conductors. The video takes us behind the scenes as ten dedicated musicians juggle a fierce rehearsal schedule with family and friends.
The young musicians’ lives are filled with dreams and sacrifices, victories and defeats, numbing work and moments of genius. Days before a big concert everything starts to go wrong. But in the end, love of music, ambition and dedication triumph as the orchestra plays an amazing concert before an adoring audience.
Cuba Mia offers an unforgettable message of hope, demonstrating the power of music to cross boundaries of nation, gender and time. It is an inspiring film
Cuba Mia has won numerous awards, including the National Award at the In-Edit International Film Festival in Santiago, Chile; a Cine Golden Eagle Award, a Gabriel Award, a Gold at the Hamburg International Film Festival in Germany, a Silver at the Chicago International Film Festival, Second Place at the U.S. International Independent Film and Video Festival, and a Gold Telly Award.
Cuba Mia is airing nationally on PBS and internationally on ABC-Australia, and in France, Hungary, Iceland, and Finland.
This DVD copy is the Director Cecilia Domeyko’s cut of the film, and includes scenes you may not have viewed before. It is being distributed by the Director through this website.
For private viewing |
HAVANA: CITY OF SOUL WALKING THE STREETS OF HISTORY
Havana: City of Soul, written, directed and produced by filmmaker Cecilia Domeyko is a one-hour video about the beautiful capital of Cuba. It gives the audience an inside view of the historical monuments and buildings of Havana, visuals available to a select few. The visuals were shot in 2009 before the government of Cuba restricted filming in the city, so many of the beautiful visuals are one of a kind. The sights include interiors of colonial buildings that were the home of original settlers to Cuba, and the battlements of defense to Old Havana.
This is a great sightseeing review of the city for students, those getting ready to visit Havana, or who have returned and would like to recall the sights they have seen.
Cecilia Domeyko is the director, writer and producer of the multiple award- winning PBS documentary, Cuba Mía: Portrait of an All-Woman Orchestra, and dozens of other films capturing the essence of Latin America.
This documentary was produced with the support of the Mariposa Cultural Foundation, a non-profit organization that has the mission of educating through the public about human rights, and the rights of women, children, indigenous people and the environment. The foundation carries out its work through the media, books, films, the web, and cultural activities and events.
For private viewing |