Dominican Director Leticia Tonos Talks Milly Quezada Biopic ‘Milly, the Queen of Merengue,’ Headed for London Screenings Market
Vivacious Dominican merengue phenom Milly Quezada receives just accolades in the spirited biopic “Milly, the Queen of Merengue,” an electric musical set to hit the London Screenings Market later this month.
Forced to flee during the Dominican Republic’s turbulent civil war, Quezada’s family immigrated to Manhattan’s bustling Latin district, Washington Heights, just as the diaspora’s thirst for homespun music intensified.
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The hope-tinged devotional spans the singer’s journey, from adolescence and nascent career with Milly, Jocelyn and Los Vecinos, through her debilitating struggle with depression that led to a rousing comeback as a solo artist, earning her several Latin Grammy’s and cementing the rightful, royal title she defends to this day.
Directed by Santo Domingo-born, award-winning director Leticia Tonos — whose films “Love Child,” “Cristo Rey,” “A State of Madness,” and “Aire, Just Breathe” were submitted to the Oscars by the Dominican Republic for Best International Feature consideration — the film captures the resilience, fortitude, and fury of the Latin singer’s rise amidst antiquated social expectations and a male-dominated music scene.
“Telling the story about an artist famously known as the ‘Queen of Joy’ overcoming her depression felt impossible to resist. Milly isn’t the typical musician battling drug addiction or grappling with her sexuality; her struggle is much more universal,” Tonos told Variety.
“She’s trying to understand herself and her unyielding desire to do things differently in a world determined to keep everything just as it is. Young Milly Quezada is as ordinary as anyone can be — her story echoes in every corner of Washington Heights — but her dreams don’t quite fit the mold of her humble, war-torn Dominican background. In a time when our world is aching from old and new wounds, we need stories like hers—stories that remind us of the power of resisting and staying true to our heart, even when the world around us tells us otherwise.”
The project is executive produced by Quezada, Tonos and her Santo Domingo-based outfit, Línea Espiral Producciones, and Rose Marie Vega, CEO at Los Angeles development and distribution outfit RM Vistar, a titan in her own right who’s referred to the film as a passion project.
“My inspiration for women’s projects comes from all stages of life: as a daughter, working mother, wife, friend, and producer. I aim to share our stories — stories that uplift and inspire women, and I want to continue to find stories that resonate with diverse, international audiences,” Vega explained, also noting the necessity of representing the perseverance and determination so common in Latin culture.
“I hope the film aspires to open hearts and make people want to smile and dance. It’s very much the Latin culture I grew up with in downtown Los Angeles, with immigrant families escaping tyranny and looking for a safe place to raise their families. I want to tell these types of positive stories of the Latinos I know; they come to this country to work, pay their taxes, and give back. Milly realized her dream by doing the right thing, keeping her faith and working hard to reach her goal — each year, another step forward… because ‘Yes we can!'”
Written by Tonos alongside Junior Rosario (“La última esposa”), the film employs flashbacks mingling with whimsical musical vignettes that add levity to the film, working to showcase Quezada’s bold, commanding vocal styling-her sound sailing over the punchy beats of dissonance and brass known to the genre, each uptempo number proving that music comforts as it heals, as it binds and connects us and propels us forward.
“Nowadays, everything seems to revolve around identity—we’re obsessed with it, and frankly, so am I. But sometimes, I wonder if we’re confusing identity with individualism. Identity connects us, while individualism can pull us apart, we see this happening every minute of the day,” Tonos explained. “Milly Quezada’s merengue music is a force of nature that carries the heartbeat of the Caribbean, you could be dancing to it without realizing the lyrics tell a story as tragic as a Greek epic. That’s the beauty of it, and why I believe merengue brings us closer to our identity without the individualism part — it lets our ‘thinking’ minds quiet down while our ’emotional’ selves take over.”
The soul-filled and inspirational tribute features Dominican-American actress Sandy Hernandez (“The Roar of the Butterflies”) as Quezada, her resemblance striking as she gracefully embodies the firebrand. Juan Carlos Pichardo, Raider Diaz, Jalsen Santana, Braulio Castillo and Cindy Galán round out the cast.
“It was an absolute delight to watch Sandy Hernandez unfold before my eyes during our casting sessions. Layer by layer, she proved to have all the amazing skills necessary to star in a musical. She’s not only an incredible actress, but she has the presence, the moves and a unique combination of Dominican swagger and elegance that were essential for embodying an artist the magnitude of Milly Quezada,” Tonos explained.
More than the story of an icon, the musical is an ode to the sacrifices made while chasing down big dreams. In a climate where immigrants in the United States continue to face extraordinary hurdles, Tonos believes the struggle can still yield high rewards.
“What is the American Dream? What does it even mean anymore? For many people across Latin America and the Caribbean, it’s not necessarily about becoming the CEO of a tech company — though I’m happy to say many have achieved that. For most immigrants, the American Dream is much simpler: having the chance to walk home safely from work or earning a decent wage that provides a good quality of life. Over time, this dream has drifted far from its original meaning, and for some, it’s even turned into a nightmare. I do believe it’s still possible to achieve, but we need to be ready to adapt to the changing rules of the game. It won’t be the first time, nor the last, that Latinos have done this, our capacity for resilience is incredible.”
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