Dominican Film Festival New York 2023 Gets to the Heart of What it Means to Be Quisqueyan

The Dominican Film Festival New York 2023 is a festival of films made in the Dominican Republic and by the Dominican Diaspora. The Dominican Film Festival New York 2023 screens films made in the Dominican Republic and by the Dominican Diaspora; with a red carpet opening night at the United Palace in Washington Heights on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 6pm, and screenings at the Regal E-Walk in the Times Square Theater District; through Sunday, November 5, 2023. Opening Night $40. Films $18. eventbrite.com 🇩🇴 #DFFNYC12

“El Brujo”

The opening night film is the Dominican comedy “El Brujo” by Archie López. It’s a very funny, very Dominican movie starring Raymond Pozo and Miguel Céspedes. After getting in some trouble, a Christian flees to his cousin’s country home and hides out as a babalawo (Yoruba priest) which in La Republica, we would call a fortune teller. The locals are excited by the new visitor, and many come to him asking for help achieving their dreams. The great American musician Prince once said, “what you think is true.” He was right. If you believe in something, and work hard at achieving it, it’s more than likely to happen. There are many ways to believe. El Brujo is so convincing and successful that he attracts some attention that he didn’t want. But his most important follower is a young boy who wants to play béisbol. In the end, everything turns out well, and the baseball player learns important lessons about life and his own Dominican heritage. I can’t stop laughing, but have a few heartfelt tears as well because this is a funny, but touching story that gets to the heart of what it means to be Dominican. I know both sides of this story and am going to take my Dominican family to see “El Brujo” in Santiago de los Caballeros en el Cibao, and then we’re going to go play béisbol en el Parque Central. A “brujo” is a sorcerer, a male witch. In the Dominican Republic, we are very intense about our Christianity, but we have rich Indigenous and African Diaspora folk traditions, that we love too. In the Caribbean, every Christian saint is paired with an African Diaspora saint (orisha or lwa). Though most Dominicans will deny it, when we pray in church, many of us are praying to both saints. Same is true with the altars you find everywhere. I have one in my house. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Christianity, African Diaspora, and most religious traditions believe in the One. We can argue about the name of God all you want, but it’s the same One by any name.

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