Research and Visual Documentation Program:

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Methodology
Melassa Foundation works from a participatory action research perspective meaning that every research project we develop, we do so in terms of the interests of the community we are documenting.  On the other hand, it is our goal to improve the representation of Latino culture in all aspects of life.

Sometimes referred to as "advocacy" films, the main focus of the Research and Visual Documentation program is the production of documentaries that bring about social awareness or social change.  Our methodology is based in a research and documentation phase which includes participation in various events, festivities, and day-to-day life of the community, the implementation of interviews and focus groups, accompanied as well by hands-on workshops where we teach how to use video and photographic cameras, perform interviews, and edit film material in connection with the Identity, Culture, Migration and Technology Workshops Program and the Cultural Exchange Program.  A second phase involves follow-up workshops in the community and diffusion of the visual work through the organization of different activities with members of the community, however outside the community, in order to show the work done.  At the moment, we are working with the community of Mata Los Indios in San Felipe de Villa Mella, specifically with the Cofradía de los Congos del Espíritu Santo.  Following the model of collaboration we develop with them, we hope to work in a similar fashion with other communities in the future.
 

1) Collaboration Project with the ADASEC, (Association of Social, Ecological and Cultural Help)
Phase 1: Artistic and creative activities for the children of the Food Kitchen (July 2004-ongoing)
Phase 2:  Community video filming in the town of Palavé (June 25, 2004 - ongoing)

The Melassa Foundation signed a collaborative work contract with ADASEC, Asociación de Ayuda Social Ecológica y Cultural (Association of Social, Ecological and Cultural Help) to take artistic and creative activities to the children of the food kitchen in  Palavé, run by this non-governmental organization, in the town of Palavé.  In the food kitchen, approximately 51 low-income children from the community of Palavé are served lunch.

Students in Melassa's exchange program, who come from foreign universities, participate in the activities as well as students from the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC) and interns from the Mata de los Indios community, Marilyn, Johanny and Mery, who are also doing internships with Melassa and the General Assistant of the Foundation, Nikina Martínez.

On first day of the Palavé project, the morning of Friday, June 25, the interns, INTEC students and members of the Melassa Foundation introduced themselves to the attending children and presented an overview of what they were going to do there.  In addition, they spoke about identity and culture in order to provide the children with a better understanding of the importance of these two themes, within their own community and in general. Johanny Moreno, a young woman from the community of Mata de los Indios preformed a congo dance, which identifies her culture and identity of Mata de los Indios.  In order to develop and structure the activities and themes which we are working with, corresponding methodologies will be used every day with the children, with the following a structure:  theme, objectives, content, and materials.

The students from INTEC conduct social investigations under the guidance of Karin Weyland, Director of the Melassa Foundation and professor at INTEC, Department of Social Sciences, where they investigate different topics.  For example, some students have studied the difficulty in accessing secondary education for the residents of the community of Palavé and its causes.  These investigative results can be shared by the Melassa Foundation and ADASEC, as well as INTEC, in order to study and accomplish possible projects for the sake of improving the development of the local communities.  We are looking to create a unifying work that joins the interests of collaboration and participatory action between both organizations, as non-profit entities, that will drive substantial improvement in community work benefitting the Dominican population.

This project contributes to marginalized communities in need.  We eventually hope to create a documentary exploring culture and identity in this community also known as a Batey, that is, a community of primarily Haitian descendants whose residents worked in sugar cane plantations.  We will develop broad knowledge in order to give this community and its culture the recognition that it deserves. The first filmings were made by interns in Melassa from  Hunter College.  Julio Mora was in charge of the activities as well as the food kitchen and film in the community and the group of youth from Mata de los Indios community with the assistance of Karin Weyland.

2) Collaboration Project with Areito Television
Fase 1: Instruction about the television studio and its function (June 2004-ongoing)

The Melassa Foundation and the local television channel Areito TV (Channel 14)  are doing collaborative, participatory, and community projects that use the participation of the members of Channel Areito and the young people who work there in order to create documentary videos (filming, editing, conducting interviews, etc.).  Also, the channel gives instruction about the equipment, its function and management to the interns and young people who work at the Melassa Foundation.  Channel Areito participates in these projects in collaboration with the members of the Melassa Foundation and receives advisory assistance in the creation of these projects.   We are looking to create a joint project that will show Dominican culture and society in its different manifestations (beliefs, ideology, customs, art, etc)

The interns from Hunter College and the University of Massachusetts and the youth from Mata de los Indios who work with Melassa have learned different aspects related to a television studio set: camera structure, camera management, on-air programming, etc.  Thanks to William Minier and his team at  Channel Areito who have hosted a group from the Melassa Foundation on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Also, programs were filmed with the youth from Mata de los Indios who took part in the play, "The Tradition of the Holy Spirit", directed by Karin Weyland and which accompanies the video documentary, "Congo pa' ti".
 

3) Collaboration Project with the Community of Mata Los Indios
Phase 1: Filming, Workshops and Documentation (October 2001-September 2002)
Phase 2: Follow-up Workshops and Diffusion of the Work Done (beginning: September 2002)

The collaboration project consists of producing an advocacy video-documentary regarding the African influence from the Congo region in the community of Mata Los Indios with the goal of establishing a dialogue about Black identity in the Dominican Republic and the relationship between identity and economic marginalization.  The main objective of the workshops is to incorporate specific groups in the decision-making process of the video-documentary and its production, as well as to teach tools of empowerment for self-understanding and implementation.  In Mata Los Indios, Melassa works mainly with four groups: 1) eighteen girls between the ages of 11 and 19 years old who are proud of their musical and dance traditions, all of whom participated in the International Delegation, and in the Hip Hop and Documentation Workshops; 2) group of youth and their parents, who are currently participating in a series of Gender Workshops oriented to issues of sexuality, reproductive health, and family planning; 3)  the Brotherhood of the Congos of the Holy Spirit, mainly Sixto Minier, the master drummer, and his family who participated in the majority of activities organized by Melassa; and 4) group of four teachers from the School of Mata Los Indios who participated in the FLACSO workshop about Latinidad, identity and migrations.

What's the documentary about?
One of the inquiries guiding research in the Mata Los Indios community is the exploration of the origins of its name, possibly alluding to the racial category “indio” and its variations, such as “indio claro” or “indio oscuro”, to refer to the racial mixture in popular Dominican culture.  As part of a creative endeavor, Melassa intends to explore the three major influences of Dominican national identity (African, Spanish and Táino), and research how the Congos and Mata Los Indios, as a predominantly Black community, fit into the perceived national Dominican community.

In an effort to create consciousness that culturally affirms Blackness within Dominican society, the documentary explores in what context is the racial category "Black" used and under what circumstances do stereotypes develop. This type of questioning allows us to explore African influences in the Dominican Republic from a more positive perspective and allows us to determine if there is a relationship between those stereotypes and their economic marginalization, as well as to increase socio-cultural and economic awareness regarding the role of the Congos in Dominican, Caribbean and Afro-Latin@ cultures.  Recognized by the UNESCO as a "Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage for the Humanity", one of the interests of the documentary is to bring awareness to this recognition in relation to its Afro-Latino roots in order to improve the current socio-economic conditions of the community and make the preservation of this cultural patrimony an easier task.

Who are the filmmakers?
Besides from Melassa's filmmakers (Karin, Manolo and Julio), eighteen girls between the ages of 11 and 19 who participated in the Documentation and Hip-Hop workshops have collaborated in the filming of this documentary.  They learned how to conduct interviews and how to use both photographic and video cameras, and have conducted several interviews in the community and outside of it.  The students who were part of the International Delegation organized by Melassa also participated in the making of this film by doing interviews with the girls and by participating in some of Melassa's workshops.

Who are the main subjects of the documentary?
The main subjects of the documentary are the members of the Cofradia that participate in traditional activities such as the vigils and Congos, Pri-pri celebrations, daily activities such as the making of cassave bread, the hand crafting of musical instruments and motorcycle repairs, the annual festival celebrating the Holy Spirit held in May that includes a procession through the town of Villa Mella and the celebration of the Congos inside the Catholic church.  The girls who participated in the Workshops and did some of the filming are also the subjects of the video, as well as their families.  In this way, Melassa tries to break with the relationship between the observer and the observed as "the other", and to promote a larger sense of a unified Latino community based on solidarity.

Also important is the documentation of the Cofradia members' daily lives, not just productive activities but reproductive as well, such as child rearing and the socialization of the family, and interview them regarding the oral transmission of their cultural traditions.  We have also filmed the daily life of other members of the community and their relationship to the Congos.

To compliment this local perspective, we are also interviewing anthropologists and other Dominican intellectuals who have distinguished themselves for their research and work in Mata Los Indios, with a particular focus on issues of national identity, Afro-Dominican traditions, and other Afro-Latin@ and Caribbean influences as well as local artists that have developed projects within the community. They include: Carlos Hernandez, Professor at the UASD and author of “Morir en Villa Mella” (To Die in Villa Mella); Carlos Andujar, Director of the Museo del Hombre (Museum of Anthropology --the Dominican Man Museum); Dagoberto Tejeda, Director of the Center for Art and Popular Culture; Marilyn Gallardo, Bayahona Foundation and Kalalu Dance; Jose Guerrero, Sub-director of the Museo del Hombre (Museum of Anthropology-- the Dominican Man Museum); Edis Sanchez, Percussionist and Ethnic Researcher, Major Drum; Rubén Silié, Director of the Latin American Faculty for Social Sciences.

The documentary also focuses on the vision of the youth of the Mata Los Indios community and Villa Mella. In particular, how they view their future participation and leadership within the Cofradia. This perspective is of the utmost importance since the youth of the community are the bearers of their culture and the continuation of these traditions is partly dependent on them. To document the manner in which they receive and process this information will contribute to the development of workshops about the oral transmission and education from generation to generation.

Finally, it is also important to document other musical/cultural manifestations like the Pri-pri, the Salve, the Mysteries and the Palos (drums) that are also practiced by members of Mata Los Indios and Villa Mella in local, regional and national festivals, or in other family and community celebrations such as Mysteries Festivities.  The interaction of these groups with the Congos is very important to understand how the Cofradia has maintained and transformed itself. In a sense, the documentation of these changes will help us to identify the areas that need further development and collaboration so that we can identify the origins of change without losing the cultural value of the Congos.

What activities are included in the filming of the documentary?

• Documentation of the Vigils (Congos), Celebrations, Family and Community Activities; and activities of the Hermandad (Salve, Pri-pri, Palos/Mysteries).
• Annual Celebration of the Cofradia of the Holy Spirit in May
• 10 interviews with the members of the Cofradia and Hermandad, including distinguished members of the community such as the parish priest, the captain of the Cofradia, Don Sixto, and the King of the Cofradia, Don Pío, the musicians, El Viu, Puto, and Román, the women who sing and play the maracas, Enerolisa, Vitalina, Catalina, Blanca, y Juliana.
• 7 interviews with anthropologists, artists, and intellectuals who have studied extensively about the community.
• Documentation of the Educational Workshops carried out in the community in collaboration with the Museo del Hombre and designed by Melassa
• Distribution of the documentation materials: a copy to  the community and another to the Museum of Anthropology (Museo del Hombre).

The "Congo pa' ti" project, which did a national tour in the Dominican Republic, was exhibited in October 2004 in Rutgers University, New Jersey and Hunter College, New York.