QUEEN OF THURSDAYS
World Premiere
Country: USA
Language: English, Spanish
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 79min
Film Year: 2016
Category: CineDwnTwn Galas
She was the very pinnacle of grace, power and talent—yet for years Rosario Suárez, the former prima ballerina of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, was only showcased on the ballet’s Thursday programs, and rarely in weekend performances. This went on for so long that Rosario became known as la reina de los jueves: the Queen of Thursdays. Her career in Havana existed only in deference to the founder and director of the Ballet, dancer and choreographer Alicia Alonso, the favored one chosen by Castro himself, until Rosario’s prima ballerina status was finally declared, long after she had reached the age where most dancers retired. Eventually a family crisis brought Rosario to Miami. And exile.
As with many Cubans who struggle for years to make things work at home before surrendering to lure of new possibilities in Miami, Rosario’s inauguration of an artistic life in exile brought fresh challenges that were just as difficult to surmount as those she left behind. Yet exile could never diminish Rosario’s singular flair or corporal intelligence—just as exile has never diminished the vision and sensitivity of director Orlando Rojas. With Queen of Thursdays, Rojas has made a beautiful, personal and universal film, one that speaks to the hearts of thousands of Cubans in Miami—and to artists in exile the world over. – Jaie Laplante
This film is also part of the Knight Documentary Achievement Award
SHOWTIMES
Thursday March 10th @ 7:00pm OLYMPIA THEATER Add to Schedule
credits
Director: Orlando Rojas
Producer: Jorge Álvarez, Orlando Rojas, Dennis Scholl
Screenwriter: Orlando Rojas, Dennis Scholl, Abilio Estévez
Music: Alfredo Triff
Cinematographer: Jorge Álvarez
Editor: Jorge Alvarez