Inhabitants of Isla Saona enjoy for the first time the open-air screening of two films thanks to clean energy

• The film “Misión Estrella” and the documentary “Isla de Plástico” were exhibited, with the collaboration of the Compañía de Electricidad de Bayahíbe (CEB) and the Dirección General de Cine (DGCINE), through its dependency, the Cinemateca Dominicana.

• The actress and producer of “Plastic Island”, Nashla Bogaert, visited the island as part of this activity as a sign of her commitment to environmental protection and responsible waste management.

Saona Island, January 12, 2023One hundred residents of Isla Saona have enjoyed this week for the first time the projection of two movies, thanks to the clean energy system provided by the renewable electric plant recently installed by the Bayahibe Electricity Company (CEB).

The film chosen for this historic day was the Dominican documentary Isla de Plástico, filmed in part in this same area and produced by actress Nashla Bogaert, who visited the island as part of this initiative, as a sign of her commitment to protecting the environment and raising awareness in the community about responsible waste management.

As part of the initiative, “Misión Estrella”, a film directed by Fernando Báez, was also presented to bring a message of motivation to all children and young people and encourage them to pursue their dreams.

The screening of these films on Isla Saona was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the General Directorate of Cinema, through its branch, the Dominican Cinematheque, and the 3Rs Sustainability Foundation, headed by Ginny Heinsen. The film, directed by José María Cabral, was born after the plastic wave that affected the entire coast of Santo Domingo in July 2018 and wants to draw attention to the need for a change in the consumption of this material, which represents 580 million pounds in waste in the Dominican Republic.

CEB’s general manager, Oscar San Martín, emphasized the value of the message conveyed by these films and on which the company’s project is based its commitment to contribute to a more sustainable development in this key area for the country’s environment and tourism. “Through clean technology and renewable energy generation, we are turning Isla Saona into a global benchmark for sustainability,” he said.

For her part, Marianna Vargas Gurilieva, general director of the DGCINE, expressed the support of this institution, highlighting that this is the first time that Dominican films are being shown in the country with clean energy. “We are honored to screen these films on Saona Island. We thank CEB for being the pioneers and making us part of this initiative”.

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About Saona Island

Saona Island is one of the largest islands in the Dominican Republic and is located off the coast of the province of La Altagracia. It is part of Cotubanamá National Park. The island is also a great tourist attraction for its beautiful beaches and natural beauties, receiving more than 1 million tourists a year.

About CEB

Compañía de Electricidad de Bayahibe (CEB) is a subsidiary company of Consorcio Energético Punta Cana-Macao, S. A. (CEPM), a company that generates, distributes and commercializes electric energy, with 30 years of history, which currently has more than 300 MW of installed capacity with which it supplies energy through 1,237 km of high, medium and low voltage networks, to more than 65% of the national hotel offer divided into nearly 55,000 hotel rooms and more than 50,000 residential, commercial and industrial clients, acting as a fundamental promoter of the tourist development of the areas of Punta Cana, Bavaro, Macao, Uvero Alto, Miches, Bayahibe and La Romana.

About DGCINE

The General Directorate of Cinema (DGCINE) is a decentralized institution of the Dominican State, with legal personality, administrative, financial and technical autonomy, attached to the Ministry of Culture. The DGCINE was created as a result of the enactment of Law No. 108-10. Established with the purpose of promoting and encouraging the development of a national film industry, administering the tax incentives created by the Law, positioning the country as a location destination for foreign productions.

About Cinemateca Dominicana

The Dominican Cinematheque is a branch of the General Directorate of Cinema created to rescue, preserve and exhibit classic and contemporary film gems, films considered part of the nation’s and the world’s cinematographic heritage. It is also in charge of compiling and providing access to information resources specialized in the seventh art, in order to promote its study and research.