Agliberto Melendez is a Dominican film director best known as the
director of A One Way Ticket (Un Pasaje de Ida), the Dominican
Republic's first feature-length film, produced entirely in the
Dominican Republic by a Dominican cast and crew. The film became known
to American audiences after its 1988 debut in New York City at the
Museum of Modern Art's New Directors/New Films Festival. A One Way
Ticket gained some notoriety because of its macabre subject matter;
the story of would be immigrants who die in their desperate struggle
to escape a fate of poverty and despair. A One Way Ticket, shot under
very adverse conditions, proved to everyone that it could be done.In
1979 Agliberto Melendez founded the Cinemateca Nacional, quickly
becoming the meeting place for like-minded film enthusiasts. He
single-handedly led the Cinemateca Nacional through very hard times
but managed to stay afloat until it was finally forced to close its
doors in 1986 following the election of right wing candidate JoaquÃn
Balaguer. The Cinemateca Nacional introduced classics from the world
cinema to a fresh and enthusiastic new audience.His perseverance and
single-minded vision made Agliberto Melendez the undisputed film
pioneer of Dominican Cinema. He currently teaches cinema studies in
the Dominican Republic and prepares his next feature: "Del Color de la
Noche" based on the life of José Francisco Peña Gómez which he
began preproduction this year.
director of A One Way Ticket (Un Pasaje de Ida), the Dominican
Republic's first feature-length film, produced entirely in the
Dominican Republic by a Dominican cast and crew. The film became known
to American audiences after its 1988 debut in New York City at the
Museum of Modern Art's New Directors/New Films Festival. A One Way
Ticket gained some notoriety because of its macabre subject matter;
the story of would be immigrants who die in their desperate struggle
to escape a fate of poverty and despair. A One Way Ticket, shot under
very adverse conditions, proved to everyone that it could be done.In
1979 Agliberto Melendez founded the Cinemateca Nacional, quickly
becoming the meeting place for like-minded film enthusiasts. He
single-handedly led the Cinemateca Nacional through very hard times
but managed to stay afloat until it was finally forced to close its
doors in 1986 following the election of right wing candidate JoaquÃn
Balaguer. The Cinemateca Nacional introduced classics from the world
cinema to a fresh and enthusiastic new audience.His perseverance and
single-minded vision made Agliberto Melendez the undisputed film
pioneer of Dominican Cinema. He currently teaches cinema studies in
the Dominican Republic and prepares his next feature: "Del Color de la
Noche" based on the life of José Francisco Peña Gómez which he
began preproduction this year.
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