Santo Domingo, Dr
Born and raised in Santo Domingo to a Higüey woman and Franco man, actress, writer and director Gabriela Ortega makes her way into the big content industry in the United States, directing the second season of the series Lunchpad “. , for the Disney+ streaming platform.
Getting there was no accident. Through her education, the young artist has laid the foundation for a promising career in film and television productions, both in front of and behind the camera.
The young woman has had a penchant for art since her school days. “The school’s focus was on science and math, things I didn’t excel at (…), I was always the creative of the promotion, I always had a call for art,” Ortega said, laughing.
An important part of his acting training took place on Dominican territory. She received improvisation and acting classes from Laura García Godoy and was one of the first graduates of Amaury Sánchez’s Academy of Artistic Training (AFA).
At the same time he ventured into smaller roles in the theater and in short films. He also wrote stories and poetry, a talent he still loves to pursue.
Although he realized that the world of acting and directing was not a profession he took very seriously, in an interview with Listín Diario journalists, Ortega explained that over the years and as he matured, he realized that this was his true passion , and this defined He would like to devote himself to this profession.
“When I saw that my interest had matured, a scholarship offered me the opportunity to study drama at the University of Southern California,” said the young woman.
Shortly before coming of age he flew to Los Angeles, USA, and there he began studying the arts at an academic level.
Ortega said that when she arrived at this university, she was fascinated by her film school, which she described as “extremely prestigious”.
Some time later, he began working in the study house’s film library, which not only gave him the opportunity to access the great books of the seventh art, but also nurtured his curiosity and knowledge of the subject.
Training abroad was a challenge for her because she was the only Latina student in her group and she immediately realized, “There they have an idea of who you are, they label you and they underestimate you.” Knowing that reality for her was “a process to educate people about stereotypes (…), it was an educational journey in every sense.”
your favorite topics
Gabriela described art as “a reflection of society”. Rooted in this thought, she expressed that she always tries to ensure that her projects leave a message and depict complicated and contradictory characters that are easy for the public to question.
“I like to do things that reflect and question the established, I’m very interested in adaptations, I want to translate Taino mythology into more modern stories,” he said.
The young filmmaker also has a dream of bringing to the screen a story that delves deeply into the issue of migration and the impact that living in a country where they were not born has on people.
For them, the Anglo-Saxon view of Latinos in film is still very black and white, and they want to show “the most colorful strata” of this group.
“I think the Caribbean and Dominican culture in particular has a lot to offer, a lot to tell, and this is a great opportunity as more content is being created than ever,” Ortega explained.
Dominican cinema
The actress felt that the film industry in the Dominican Republic has all the resources to make great films, but “our stories haven’t been globalized yet.” However, he added that the country could use the rise of Caribbean and Dominican cultures in international productions to position national productions.
“I’m not the first nor the last to say this, but the Caribbean is fashionable, when I arrived in the United States people told me that Dominicans speak badly because we cut words and now they use ours Jargon (…) the truth is that we are fashionable, but we do not benefit from it,” said Ortega.
The young woman told this newspaper that in the future she would like to bring her production house “Jevita Films” to Dominican territory and thus bring her talent and skills to the Creole industry.
“I’m making room here, but I’ve always wanted to be a bridge between my country and this huge North American industry, I want to bring my manufacturing house to the DR,” he said.
through the big door
The big bet of her career came last year when she received a call from the Disney+ platform announcing that she had been chosen to direct one of her series. Gabriela described the trip there as “a very crazy and fun experience”.
The young woman said that during the pandemic she started recording things, volunteering on many film sets and preparing her own portfolio with the help of her colleagues.
With this portfolio, Gabriela won the Rising Voices 2021 grant, a space that is looking for film producers and directors in the United States but with other nationalities.
“From there I made the short film ‘Huella,’ they gave me $100,000 to produce it, I had been working with practically no budget and decided to make the best of it,” he said.
This audiovisual project has been presented at several festivals, including Sundance, where it won first place in its category, and was also the second Dominican to present a film at this event.
“That recognition helped me apply for bigger projects, and that’s how I found out about this Disney+ project,” he said.
Gabriela shared that the platform is looking for directors from different backgrounds and is once again the only Latina in the group. After several weeks of testing and interviews, she was finally chosen to direct the miniseries Lunchpad in November last year.
The series began its pre-production phase in February 2022 and could premiere in the first quarter of next year. The Dominican will direct one of his six episodes.
Ortega announced that it will be available through Disney + so that his compatriots can enjoy the series as soon as it is released. “The script for the series was written by a Puerto Rican couple, it’s a story that inspired a lot of empathy in me because it’s about a Latino girl,” he said.
Commenting on her experience in this new phase as a director, the filmmaker said: “This whole process has been amazing, when you work with people with the same spirit, things are super beautiful.”
multifaceted
When asked which of his facets he enjoys the most, Ortega said it depends on the project, although he confessed that while he does have a very special connection when he’s acting, directing in that moment creates more adrenaline.
“When I direct it’s a moment of great solidarity with myself and others, it tells the actors you’re there for them to shine, it’s a feeling I can’t explain,” he said.
to teach
In her short but already promising career in the arts, Gabriela has learned that collaboration and humility among colleagues are very important.
“In this industry where there is a lot of ego, a lot of people who want to shine on their own, I don’t think we can believe that we are better than the others because you will always be surrounded by people, you must not underestimate anyone , ” he said.
advice
In conclusion, the Dominican recommended to young people who are currently in the position she was in: dream without a chance.
“I think you have to be ready for the opportunity, so I would advise them to watch movies and study, study where the industry is going, research and do things with what you have,” he said .
At the same time, she emphasized that alone and without resources, she had to make more than five documentaries to get to Disney using only her phone, and one of those documentaries was “Papi,” which was acquired by HBO this year.
He also invited young people to do projects on subjects that are really close to their hearts. “People notice when you do things with love,” he added.
“If you find someone to share your passion with, you will always find a way to make it happen if you surround yourself with the right people,” Gabriela emphasized.