Jonathan Ali talks to Yoel Morales, the Dominican (Republic) director of Bionico’s Bachata
Bionico is a crack addict on a mission. As his girlfriend, La Flaca, gets out of rehab, Bionico vows to turn over a new leaf and get clean on his own.
With the help of the irrepressible Calvita, his best friend and fellow drug addict, Bionico embarks on a series of ill-advised schemes so that he can live with his love in domestic bliss – while a documentary crew captures every his movement.
Set in a vibrant neighborhood of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Bionico’s Bachata it’s an energetic and inventive film. A fictional film with elements of reality, it flirts with the scatological while treating its subjects with respect – finding genuine moments of humor, pathos and even grace in their often bleak situations.
Bionico is an unforgettably popular character, a figure on the fringes of society who tirelessly fights against odds – going all the way back to Charlie Chaplin and his iconic comic character, the Little Tramp.
Jonathan Ali talked to Bionico’s BachataThe director of Yoel Morales – who makes films as part of the creative collective Mentes Fritas – for their abundant creation.
How did the movie start?
It started when we met the real Bionico and Calvita in 2016. What drew us in was the deep friendship they had and the cheerful way they carried themselves despite their difficult circumstances. As we spent time with them, we got to know the context they came from and were very engaged with the visual potential and local identity that could be expressed through it.
The film is a mockumentary – fiction, but in the form of a documentary. Why this shape?
When I started making films, I wanted to work in a more classical style, influenced by the aesthetics of the Coen brothers and other directors. However, whenever I tried, there was always something that bothered me; I felt that everything was very manipulated. So I started leaning towards realism.
with Bionicswe tried to write the script as standard fiction, but it didn’t convince us. We realized that there were a lot of narrative rules to adhere to and what we wanted was to be free to do whatever we wanted with both the script and the execution. We wanted to play with fiction and reality, mix everything and create a unique space where we could push the limits to the maximum.
How did you choose Manuel Raposo, who plays Bionico?
I saw Manuel in a play, a stage adaptation of a fairy tale by the Dominican writer, and immediately knew he had to be Bionico. He was playing a peasant who had to win the approval of his lover’s father and fight for him. The way Manuel expressed his emotions – so sweet and innocent, yet so noble – was exactly the quality I wanted for Bionico.
In addition, Manuel has a number of gestures that I have always found funny. I worked with him for a year to build the character, set the tone and, most importantly, the mood. Comedy had to arise from the situation without being deliberately sought. It was also important that Manuel not mock or caricature Bionico by falling into stereotypes.
You made the film with the community in which it is set. What was it like working with them?
The community was happy, not only because they were working on the project in front of and behind the camera, but also because they identified with what we were filming. Many times, we heard them say things like, “Now it’s us; finally, it feels real.” When they thought something was wrong, they stepped in and taught us. I remember a guy in one of the scenes where Manuel had to smoke: he came up to me to show me the elegant way to smoke a crack pipe. He was definitely absolutely right.
Dembow music, an offshoot of reggaeton, is integral to the film’s soundtrack and style.
I am a big fan of dembow. It is the most popular music for young people and it comes from the depths of the neighborhood. She has a unique creativity, because she is always in a phase of experimentation, where artists can literally make a debut out of anything. We felt that what we wanted to achieve resembled a dembow song. We wanted the film to feel like it starts with an unruly kick and ends with a smooth bachata in one arbor (a bar in the village).
Bionico’s Bachata (2024)
Director: Yoel Morales
Dominican Republic • 80 minutes
