FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

RENE FORTUNATO

1.-¿What moves you to produce these documentaries?

In order to understand my motivations, we need to look back at the content of my productions. You can appreciate, in all of them, an extraordinary effort to rebuild a part of the contemporary Dominican history, with images and sounds of the time. This is part of the strategy I proposed when started making these films. What is the strategic objective? To rescue, preserve and broadcast the historical memory, as a way to contribute to reinforce the cultural values that exalt our nationality. I use cinema, the art of images in motion, to reach these objectives, and, at the same time, I contribute to the development of Dominican cinematographic art.

2.- What difficulties do you usually meet in the production process of these documentaries?

To make these documentaries I found lots of difficulties. Difficulties to obtain the required information, economic difficulties and other you usually find in this job.
On my way through life, I have learned that, the bigger the difficulties, the bigger the efforts and sacrifices we must make to finish the project. My battle slogan is “Clear objectives and firm steps”.

3.- What is your opinion about TV production in the Dominican Republic?

Despite the fact that I have worked in the most important TV stations of our country, held professional practice at foreign TV stations, and consider myself a specialist in the area, I did not pursue a career in television, since its character is transitory and one of my aspirations as a filmmaker is to transcend the transient that condemns us.

In addition to this, it is important to highlight that television in our country is a reflection of our society, and, in that sense, it reveals the worst and the best of what we are. What we need to observe is if it rather reflects the worst more than the best of us.

4.- Do you belong to a political party? If not, what party do you sympathize with?

I don´t belong to any political party and it is not in my plans to belong to any. I am very disappointed at the partisan political activity, in the way that it has been conducted in our country. This activity, with some exceptions, have been invaded by people with no credibility, who lie naturally and mock the people, and I can´t be an accomplice to that nonsense.
I continue to have interest in politics, but under the light of time, when it becomes history and the misery and nobility of human beings can be appreciated with a broader view.

5.- How do you obtain the economic resources to produce this kind of work?

The economic resources come from the sale of my previous documentaries in the VHS format and now in DVD. It is good to remember that I have seven films in the market, which is the same as saying that I have seven products, which have been sold over the last ten years in the main national stores and several cities in the world.

I must stress that I am very grateful to the Dominican people for the support they have given to my work, especially those who have bought my documentaries and continue to do so, to give them as presents to the acquaintances and friends who generally reside out of the country.

6.- Is the making of documentaries a profitable business?

Documentary is a cinematographic genre that has been labeled as institutional, scientific and educational, in general sense. In that case its making is sponsored by public or private institutions. That is how we are used to perceive it, here and in other parts of the world.
In the case of feature documentaries that will be exhibited and promoted at movie theaters, its making is not profitable at most re known markets. You only need to take a look at the movie listings here or in any other city in the world, and you will hardly find a documentary film.
In my particular case, I have managed to make my documentaries successful and profitable, thanks to intense work and a marketing strategy learned in the streets while talking to people.

7.- Do you think that political sectors would feel affected by the content of these documentaries and take retaliations against you?

I don´t think so, because everything is supported with documentation. There are no slanders or insults against anybody. There is nothing personal, either.
But, those who don´t like my version of the history or feel affected, have a few choices: 1.- To make their own version 2.- Debate publicly the contents of the documentaries 3.- Sue me at the Dominican court, in case of feeling morally or politically affected.

8.- Besides the cities in the Dominican Republic, in what other cities have your documentaries been exhibited?

My work has been exhibited in Mexico, Quito, Caracas, New York, Miami, La Habana, Bilbao, Madrid, Puerto Príncipe, Cancún, San Juan PR, Washington DC and other cities from which I don´t have precise information, only the comments of people who have seen them.

9.- Of all documentaries produced, which one is your favorite?

I feel specially connected to each one of them, particularly because of the circumstances in which they were made. For example, I feel specially identified with The Power of the Generalissimo II, perhaps for all the trouble that I went through during its direction, such as technical setbacks, but if you take a close look at it, you will see it´s different from the others. The treatment I give to the historical image and narrative structure, is different from others.

If we value my work for the social, spiritual and professional satisfaction they have left in me, my favorites are “The Trench of Honor” and “The Violence of Power”.