Dólares de arena; a film directed by Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas
Dólares de arena (Sand Dollars), released in 2014, is an internationally co-produced drama film written and directed by the Dominican-Mexican creative duo, Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas. Inspired by the book Les dollars des sables by French writer Jean-Noël Pancrazi, the movie depicts the relationship between two women, in Las Terrenas, a town on the north shore of the Dominican Republic. Noelí, played by the Dominican actress Yanet Mojica, survives by establishing pseudo romantic relationships with visiting foreigners in return for financial assistance. Anne, a long-stay French tourist, interpreted by the legendary Geraldine Chaplin, falls hopelessly in love with her much younger lover.
In its many layers, the film covers a lot of ground. On the social side, it brings forward the story of the livelihood of many young women and men around the Dominican Republic shores. A by-product of our extremely developed tourism industry, this modality of “romantic-relationships” is fairly known in the highly touristic areas of our country. It also speaks about the contrasts between the mainstream Dominican culture and the life lived around the centers of tourism. While same-sex relations continues to be a taboo subject in Dominican society, the film portrays a world of tolerance and acceptance. In its use of language and music, Sand Dollars doesn’t shy away from an abundant use of local slang. It’s vintage soundtrack digs into the origins of Bachata in the 1960s, resurrecting some of the earlier masters of the genre. Visually, it brings forward the subtle imagery of Dominican coastal living: the coconut trees, the constant presence of the sea and the wind, the thatched roofs and the gaze lowering sunlight, the vernacular architecture and the remains of ‘Gingerbread’ wooden homes.
The film was an Official Selection of the Toronto Film Festival. It won Best Actress at the Chicago International Film Festival and the Festival de Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de la Habana, the FIPRESCI Award at the Cairo International Film Festival, and the Best Feature award at the Trinidad y Tobago Film Festival.
Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas filmography also includes Cochochi (2007), Jean Gentil (2010), Carmita (2013), Sambá (2017) and Holy Beast (2019). In 2007 they launched the production company Aurora Dominicana based in Santo Domingo, successfully becoming one of the main players in the Dominican Republic film sector. To know more about their movies and their production work, you can visit the website: Aurora Dominicana
In the following link you can access Sand Dollars and discover their subtle cinematographic work.
