By: Staff Writer
March 8, 2024
La Bachata de Bionico is not about “poverty porn,” but a light hearted look into the trials and adventure of a drug addict and his girlfriend trying to cope in the Dominican Republic says the film’s director.
Yoel Morales, director of La Bachata de Bionico, told Caribbean Magazine Plus that the film puts the spotlight on people addicted to crack cocaine in a humorous light despite dealing with the ravages of the addiction.
The film’s main character, “Bionico,” played by Manuel Raposo, is a “hopeless” romantic flying around the streets of the Dominican Republic with his girlfriend, “Is La Flaca,” played by Ana Minier, as they dip from one adventure to another.
Morales also said: “This is a very difficult thing and it’s a very difficult situation and most important to us was to make a portrait that was very kind to the characters and for the situation. This was not about poverty porn, but about sharing a story with a character struggling with drug addiction with his friends.
“I want people to understand that it is possible to have a love story in this complex situation.”
The idea behind this mockumentary was to enter a marginalized world and explore how a love story could exist in the midst of poverty, ignorance, and drug addiction.
Trying to find a lighthearted spin to such a serious topic was tough because “people think bad things,” when they think about drug addicts. But the film’s depiction of Bionico reminds us that the art form should not be sacrificed for the perceptions of the society around it. In fact, it is the arts that is supposed to broach difficult topics like drug addiction.
Morales also said: “It’s about making a bit of fun about it but not to the level of disrespect, or to portray them as bad or making fun of them.”
The filming of La Bachata de Bionico took the entire month of December in 2022, inclusive of filming and B-roll, with post-production taking the entire 2023.
Filming was a fascinating experience. Blending professional actors with non-professional in a controlled chaos of scenes, improvisation, and just enjoying the process made us have fun like kids
The film will be premiering in the Violet Crown Cinemas this Friday at 9:00pm
The production company MENTES FRITAS, was founded in 2007 and is a creative production company based in the Dominican Republic. It has consistently crafted a strong Caribbean portrayal in all its projects, infusing them with their unique vision, blending absurdity, humor, and magical realism.