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Original name: La Hembrita
English name: Babygirl
Year: 2023
Run time: 92 Min
Language: Spanish
Type (Colour/ Black & white): Colour
Country: Dominican Republic
Director: Laura Amelia Guzmán
Producers: Rafael Elías Muñoz, Israel Cárdenas, Sarah Pérez Báez
Cast: Cecilia García, Aleska Vásquez, Xiomara Fortuna
Screenplay: Laura Amelia Guzmán, Israel Cárdenas
Cinematographer: Israel Cárdenas
Editor: Israel Cárdenas
Sound Designer: Denis Godoy, Homer Mora
Music Composer: Pedro Guzmán, Pablo Chea
Production Company: Lantica Media, Aurora Dominicana, Purpleline Productions
World Sales: Feel Sales
Laura Amelia Guzmán (Dominican Republic, 1980) has co-created 7 features during the last 17 years alongside her husband, Mexican filmmaker Israel Cárdenas, jointly producing, writing and directing documentaries and fictions that present a careful look at the social contexts that surround them. Their work has been presented at festivals such as Berlinale, Toronto, Venice, Rotterdam, among others. Babygirl, her first feature as sole director, had its world premiere at IFF Rotterdam in January 2023.
Dominique is an aging socialite whose every need is met by Carmen, her longtime maid and a second mother to her own children. With one of her sons living abroad, and the other one about to move away and start a family, Dominique and her distant husband are left in their penthouse. She’s about to become a grandma and although her son wants to keep the gender a surprise until the birth, Dominique has a great longing for a baby girl. When Carmen vanishes without a warning and leaves her estranged 7-year-old granddaughter behind in Dominique’s empty nest, Dominique takes the girl in. Despite protests from her husband and sons, Dominique begins to contemplate a future where the girl with no name could become a permanent part of her life. As she deals with pushback from her family, Dominique finds herself challenging her own priorities.
