Last Thursday, March 15th, the Dirección General de Cine, Chavón School of Design, and Casa de Campo showed another fantastic Dominican film under the stars in Altos de Chavón at the world-famous amphitheater. Students, residents, and vacationers filled the pop-up theater eager to watch Jeffrey written, directed, and produced by Dominican Yanillys Pérez. Jeffery is a coming of age tale about a young windshield washer working on the streets of Santo Domingo with dreams of becoming a reggaeton star. The film is a critique on the poverty that exists in this country and sheds light on the raw truth behind the lives of these kids working on the streets who are often overlooked as nuisances. Jeffrey believes in himself, and believes that God will help him come out on top. Throughout the film, Jeffrey grows and learns through different experiences that excel him further, but he must still take care of the family, ultimately holding him back. The film is touching and had the audience laughing, surprised, and tearing up!Yanillys Pérez attended the viewing and spoke to the audience before the film. She spoke of the films travels through the international festival circuit highlighting its premiere in 2016 at the Toronto film festival where Jeffrey took home the Discovery Award. The film is still travelling the international film festival circuit around the world and has received a lot of prizes and praise. The evening couldn’t have been more perfect with a clear sky full of stars and cool breezes blowing over from the cliffs edge. Audience members enjoyed the free popcorn stand and cozied up for the screening. After Pérez spoke, the audience enjoyed watching short films made by the students from the Chavón film school before Jeffrey began. After the film, viewers mingled and spoke with Pérez asking questions and sharing their experience during the film. It was another fantastic community movie night under the stars! Stay tuned for more information on April’s Dominican movie! If you haven’t been to the pop-up cinema yet, you truly don’t want to miss out on the outdoor cultural fun!
The following gallery of pictures were taken by Dariana Soriano during the screening of Jeffrey March 15th 2018: