Black Lounge Film Series Set To Provide Cultural Enrichment With the Screening and Conversation of Woodpeckers
MIAMI – The Black Lounge Film Series (BLFS) continues to bring global Black cinema to Historic Overtown during Miami’s Film Month with the 5th edition of its monthly global film series with a special screening of Dominican Republic made film, “Woodpeckers” (Carpinteros).
The screening will take place on Friday, June 15th at 7 pm and talkback with lead actress Judith Rodriguez at the Overtown Performing Arts Center, 1074 NW 3rd Ave, Miami.
Tickets are available at $5 for Overtown residents and $13 for general admission. (Click here for tickets)
The evening includes music, food (cash bar), a movie, a Q&A and networking. Children over 16 are welcome. There are nudity and violence in the film. Parent’s discretion is advised. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.
In 2016, Knight Arts Challenge winner, Rachelle Salnave founded the Black Lounge Film Series (BLFS), which brings global award-winning films about the African Diasporic journey to Historic Overtown.
The monthly film screenings take place in various locations in Overtown, which help to revitalize the neighborhood’s history as a thriving destination to experience the most exciting black art and culture. She is committed to engaging and enriching this vital conversation to Overtown and the broader South Florida community through cinema.
Over the past few years, Salnave has used cinema as a way to combat negative stereotypes about Haitians. Her initiative, Ayiti Images, explores the Haitian narrative through influential films produced by Haitian and international filmmakers au fait with Haiti’s unique realities; these films capture an authentic perspective about the Haitian diasporic journey.
The BLFS series is made possible with the support of the Green Family Foundation, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor, the Board of County Commissioners, Knight Foundation and the Southeast Overtown Park West Community Redevelopment Agency.
Preview of Woodpeckers (Carpinteros)
Love can spring up in the most unlikely places, and the new film Woodpeckers (Carpinteros) tells one such tale of illicit and slow-boil attraction. Dominican-Haitian Julián (actor Jean Jean in a breakout role) begins a jail sentence for petty theft inside the notorious Najayo prison just outside Santo Domingo.
While navigating the indignities, corruption and everyday violence from both guards and fellow inmates, he becomes immersed in the system of “Woodpecker,” the unique sign language the male prisoners use to communicate with women in the adjacent penitentiary just over 400 feet away.
Standing in windows or out in prison yards, love – and heated liaisons – blossom. Julián’s entanglement with one female inmate, Yanelly (the astonishing Dominican actress Judith Rodriguez Perez), is the fuse that ignites the events of Woodpeckers, which was shot on location at the actual prison using real inmates for all but the lead roles.
Director José María Cabral, whose previous work was the Dominican Republic’s official submission for the Foreign Language Oscar, delivers a knockout film, full of atmosphere, sexuality, and grit.
Woodpeckers was entered in the 2017 American Academy Awards for best foreign-language film category. While the film was not nominated, this is Dominican Republic’s 10th film submission to the academy.
