26 de agosto de 2004

Sepa que acá apreciamos en mucho la labor de su seíior padre en el cine puertorriqueflo y estamos en la mejor disposición de guardar cualquier material que él tenga a bien disponer, para que pueda servir a futuros estudios de nuestro cine nacional. Me asombró mucho la noticia de la pelicula sobre el Grito de Lares. ¿Podrfamos saber si se llegó a filmar o si existe algún guión?

Reciba nuestro abrazo y nuestra gratitud. Roberto Ramos-Perea

Anejo:Fotos digitalizadas de José Donate y Héctor Rosario, así como articulas de prensa, entre estos:

por Olivia Torres Corresponsal de Claridad No obstante las amenazas de muerte que recibió la semana pasada José Donate, director de la empresa puertorriquefta cinecentro de Puerto Rico, se propone continuar con la filmación de la película El Grito de Lares.

Donate explicó a Claridad que la semana pasada que recibió llamdas telefónicas y un carta anónima amenazándole de muerte si continúa con los planes de hacer Wla pellcula sobre la histórica gesta. Recalcó que el Negociado de Investigaciones Criminales está tomando precauciones para proteger su vida. Donate, que también dirigió la producción de El Fugitivo de Puerto Rico Sobre la vida de Antonio García López alias Tono Bocicleta dijo que ante las amenazas, varios accionistas nacionales han renunciado a respaldar económicamente el rodaje y filmación de la pelicula. "Continuaremos adelante con nuestros planes a pesar de los inconvencientes y esperamos comenzar a filmar la pelicula dentro de tres semanas, dijo Donate. La película que durará unos 85 minutos, se filmará en el pueblo de Lares y en otras áreas de la Isla. Donate quien dirigió la redacción del libreto, informó que se estudiaron varios libros de Historia de Puerto Rico con el fin de obtrener datos de Jos acontecimientos revolucionarios del 23 de septeimbre de 1868. Algunos de los protagonistas de la película son Tony Rigus, Luisa Gutieérez, José Donate, Juan de Jesús y Pellín Hemández. La película, que costará unos cincuenta mi doláres estará lista para principios de septiembre "y persigue dar a conocer Wla parte de la historia del puertorriquei\o" concluyó Donate.

(Del periódico CLARIDAD, (s-f c./977), recorte enviado por Erlin Donare, hija de Kosé Donare, al Archivo Nacional de Teatro y Cine del Ateneo Puertorriqueño)

(LA CAJA MISTERIOSA DE ALICIA) Habla su autora, la cineasta canadiense FRANCE BENOIT ante la exhibicion de la pelicula en el Ateneo Puertorriqueño el 26 de agosto de 2004

Buenas noches, good evening, bonsoir. 1 am originally :from Montréa1 in the province ofQuébec in Canada but I have made my borne in Yellowknife in the Canadian Arctic for the last 15 years. Creo en desaflos y estoy tomando uno hoy hablándoles en español. Les agradezco por adelantado por su paciencia. Estoy muy feliz de estar aquí en Puerto Rico para presentar mi pellcula "La caja misteriosa de Alicia". Mi marido y yo vivimos en el ártico canadiense asl que ustedes puede imaginarse como encontramos el tiempo aquí. Somos mucho más cómodos con nieve, un viento frío y temperatura bajo cero que estamos con el calor, la humedad y la crema contra el sol. Hemos tenido que ajustamos a esa situación desde que llegamos aqui. Pienso que ustedes han escucho bastante mi español as! que cambiaré rápidamente al inglés. "Alicia and the Mystery Box" tells the story behind the discovery by a Canadian woman of a box belonging to a Cuban woman named Alicia. She reconnects with her roots when 1 Wlexpectedly present her with the contents of a box full of family heirlooms which had been lost since 1962, the year my busband and 1 were bom. It goes to show that our own path can cross the path of strangers in perfect harmony without anybody even noticing, transcending time and space. Sometimes 1 think the idea of this film emerged more than 40 years ago when a series of events were set in motion unbeknownst to all of us. My husband and 1 had a perfectly normal life until I happened to Jook into his grand-father's old trunk and became acquainted with what his family called "the mystery box from Cuba". The box had been brought back from Cuba by my husband's grand-father, Mr. Hinton, while he worked for the Canadian embassy in Havana in the early 60s. We found out he was regularly shipping family heirlooms to exiled Cuban families by using his diplomatic status. When he died bis family had found an old notebook in which was described items they had shipped and to whom they had been shipped. This particular box was filled with hundreds of photos

and memorabilia including diary entries from Ruby, a young mother to her newbom daughter named Alicia, tiny weenie baby shoes made of soft pink ribbon, a lock of hair in an old yellowed envelop written Alicia at 2 years old on it, scrapbooks, baby books and newspaper clippings from Havana newspapers. 1 was mesmerized by what 1 found in the box and vowed to fmd the family to whom these heirlooms belonged. The box belonged to somebody, it was somebody's life. But whose? After weeks of sifting through the pages of old scrapbooks, reading Ruby's diary, unraveling handwritten notes on the backs of photos and translating news-paper clippings, I eventually found the box's rightful owner, Alicia de Arango, now 73 years old and living right here in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Alicia and the Mystery Box retraces the history from pre-Castro Cuba to the Canadian Embassy in Havana and eventually to my own wood cabin in Yellowknife in the Canadian A.rctic before 1 fmally reunite the box with Alicia here in San Juan. But the film is so much more than a cute story ofreuniting a lost box with its owner. After meeting Alicia and the women in her family, the film took an unsuspected additional role. The film paints a portrait of four generations ofwomen in Alicia's family and the strong bonds that unite them all. Audiences in Canada and in Miami have been caught up in the magic of the film and 1 do not use the term magic lightly. There is a magic to this film and it was there from the beginning. You see, before doing this film, I had never worked in the film industry nor never dreamed of doing a film. In fact, to do a film was not on the list ofthe 500 things that 1 desperately wanted todo before 1 died. 1 never, never thought 1 would do a film. This was nowhere on the radar screen ofmy life. In 2001, 1 was a manager with the Department of Education with our territorial government. 1 wanted a change which involved quitting my big job, with the big salary and corresponding stress to do more creative projects. A few months later, I'd like to think that 1 found the box but, you know, the box found me instead. Sometimes when you wish for certain things to happen, they "do" happen. The idea to do a film emerged one day as 1 was walking with a friend behind my house in winter. That friend kept asking me if 1 was writing about Alicia's story and 1 carne to the realization that 1 was not writing because no words were coming to me, what were coming to me were images, scenes flowing just like in a movie. This friend challenged me: Well, if images are coming, then do a film about it! That same day when 1 went back borne, I read our local paper. There was an ad which announced that a new cooperative of filmmakers in Yellowknife was willing to give grants to people wishing to do a frrst film. The deadline to apply was that same day. Now, 1 don't know about you, but 1 think God rarely speaks louder than this, whoever God is for you. So 1 willingly followed the flashing neon lights that were sending me in the direction of doing this film. Now 1 want you to open your eyes and your heart to let the magic of "Alicia and the Mystery Box" come is. I want you to relax. 1 wish you a good evening and a good screening. The film lasts 40 minutes. I wíll come back afterwards to tal.k to you again and take questions from the floor.

(After tbe screening) 1 leamed many things doing this film. We all have had to face tough choices in our lives: ending a relationship, our health failing us, a decision to live elsewhere or the death of a loved one. Those tough spots, those hard decisions of life do break our hearts. But you k.now, we can ultimately choose not to live through them while grounded in anger and bittemess. We can leam about ourselves, tum the page and move on. 1 leamed that it is possible to live at peace with our surroundings and with ourselves. I know this because 1 saw Alicia and her fa.. mily do it. lt is possible to look towards the future while keeping an eye on the past. 1 saw this by spending time with these women and 1 saw how the world would be a much different place if we were to realize we ha ve far more in common uniting us wíth others than we have differences dividing us. We are so much more alike than we are different. We are all connected through the vein of life, through our humanity. Alicia and 1 lived thousands of miles apart, had never met, spoke different languages at borne, had over 30 years difference between us, had different backgrounds, lived in different countries and yet when we met, it is as if we had always known each other simply because we shared openly about ourselves with each other without the fear ofbeingjudged or laughed at. After having done that, we were then able to disco ver how much we ha ve in common. Through this film, 1 was once again reminded that material things are not what give you happiness. We all know it deep down inside but it is good to be reminded of that. If we focus on what is truly important in life, !ove, family and friends, we realize that we don't need a lot of things to live in !ove with family and friends. I was stunned to see how Alicia was able to pass on her stories, her !ove of her mother to other generations without having all those things that I brought back in the box. This trip to Puerto Rico is particularly symbolic for Doug and me since we are closing another circle in our lives. This film began here two years ago; by returning to Puerto Rico we are now closing our own circle. As 1 say in the film, another circle closed. I would like to end by saying thank you to Alicia and her family for supporting this project and trusting me. 1 was living so far away and calling out of the blue. 1 am happy they saw through me and my intentions. There is

a song in French, my mother tongue, that says that we can look at somebody with "les yeux du coeur", with the eyes ofthe heart. 1 feel this is what they have done with me. Thank you to Pepe Orraca, Isabel and Paloma of the Ateneo Puertorriquefto for making this screening and my stay a great success. Thank you to Doug for being the frrst to lead me in the right direction, for rolling bis eyes when 1 said 1 wanted to make a film and telling me: Well, let's do it bud! 1 can't help thinking how many dreams are lost just because we have nobody to share them with you. 1 married him because he helped make mine come true. We did this together. While 1 was editing the film, he was doing laundry. While 1 went on the road to show the film, he was stuck with frozen pipes. Your applause are bis too. And most of al!, thank you for being here tonigbt because a film needs to be seen, shared. My dream needed to be shared with your in Puerto Rico. The circle could not ha ve been closed without you being there. 1 would like to encourage you to follow the flasbing neon lights in your life and great things will happen to you too. Trust your intuition. You will do things you never thought possible. 1 now firmly believe that 1 did not fmd the box, it found me. And remember, selfless actions truly send ripples through time. Keep the magic going and many many thanks for coming tonight. 1 would not be glad to answer your questions or com· ments about the film.

PELICULAS RODADAS EN P.R.

Es de sumo interés para nuestros lectores conocer el desarrollo de la industria cinematográfica puertorriquef'la a partir del afio 1956. No quiere esto decir que todas las producciones hayan sido netamente borincanas, pero si muchas de ellas y el resto en co-producciones con Estados Unidos, México y Espafta. He aquf la lista incompleta, desde luego, que suma 31. Veamos: 1-"Tres Vidas en el Recuerdo", y "Escombros" producidas y dirigidas por Rolando Barrera. 2- "Maruja", producción "Probo Films", Jerónimo Mitchell y dirección de Orzaba! Quintana. 3- "Ayer Amargo", producción de Jerónimo Mitchell y dirección de Amílcar Tirado. 4- "Entre Dios y el Hombre", producción y dirección de Rolando Barrera. 5- "Romance en Puerto Rico" (primer largo metraje en color), producción de Damián Rosa. 6- "Los que no se Rinden" ("Huellas"), produc-ción y dirección de Rolando Barrera. 7- "El Otro Camino", producción y ejecución de Onix Báez. 8- "Pabner ha Muerto", co-producción boricua espaftola. 9- "Con los Pies Descalzos". 10- "Mas Allá del Capitolio", producción de Marrero y dirección de Amilcar Tirado. 1 1- "Lamento Borincano", a color, producida por Damián Rosa y dirección de Fernando Cortés. 12-"Así Baila Puerto Rico", a todo color, producida y dirigida por Paquito Cordero (debut). 13-"El Alcalde de Machuchal", producida y di· rigida por Paquito Cordero. 14- "Bello Amanecer", a todo color, producida por Damián Rosa y dirigida por Tony Mart!nez. 15- "Pachm en Puerto Rico", ("Juicio a un Ángel"), producción espaftola y dirigida por Francisco Curiel.

16- "Bajo el Cielo de Puerto Rico", a todo color, producida por Osear G. Dulzaides y dirigida por el cubano Ramón Peón. 17-"La piel desnuda" producida por Osear Dulzaides y dirigida por Jorge Mistral. 19· "Mientras Puerto Rico Duenne", producida por Damián Rosa y dirigida por Julián Soler. 20- "El Jíbaro Millonario", (Millonario a Go Go ), producida por Paquito Cordero y dirigida por Fernando Cortés. 21- "Joselito Vagando", producción espaftolamexicana, a todo color. 22- "Operación Tiburón", producida por Braulio Castillo y dirigida por José de San Antón. 23- "La Criada Malcriada", producida por Jerónimo Mitchell y dirigida por G. Martmez Solares. 24- ''Nuestro Regimiento", producida por Damián Rosa y dirigida por Mur Otri. 25- "Semilla de Odio", producida y dirigida por el cubano Ramón Peón. 26- "Agente 000", producida por Paquito Cordero y dirigida por Fernando Cortés. 27- "Heroína''. producida y dirigida por Jerónimo Mitchell. 28- "Tres Puertorriqueftos y un Deseo", a todo color, producida y dirigida por el cubano René Martinez. 29- "Los que Nunca Amaron", producida por Osear G. Dul.zaides y dirigida por José Dfaz Morales. 30- "Noches Prohibidas", producida por Osear G. Dul.zaides, cubano, y dirigida por José Dfaz Morales. 31- "Luna de Miel en Puerto Rico", a todo color, producción de Paquito Cordero y dirigida por Fernando Cortés. 32-"La Vendedora de Amor", rodada en N. Y., y dirigida por Jerónimo Mitchell. (Tomado de EL MUNDO, sin fecha, de 1964, de la Colección Rolando Barrera: ANTCA.PR.)