First Lady of the Revolution | |
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Directed by | Andrea Kalin |
Written by | Andrea Kalin |
Produced by | Andrea Kalin |
Starring | Henrietta Boggs |
Cinematography | Paulo Soto Dennis Boni |
Edited by | David Grossbach |
Music by | Stephen Smith |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 71 minutes |
Country | United States |
Languages | English and Spanish |
First Lady of the Revolution is a 2016 feature-length documentary film about former first lady of Costa Rica Henrietta Boggs. [1] [2] The documentary is a Spark Media film and was directed and produced by Andrea Kalin. [1]
While visiting an aunt and uncle in the exotic countryside of Costa Rica, a young southern belle from Alabama accepted a ride on the back of a motorcycle belonging to a local charismatic farmer — a ride that would propel her down narrow mountain roads and into history. [3] First Lady of the Revolution is the story of Henrietta Boggs, who fell in love with a foreign land and the man destined to transform its identity. Her marriage to José Figueres Ferrer in 1941 led to a decade-long journey through activism, exile and political upheaval and, ultimately, lasting progressive reforms. First Lady of the Revolution is not only a depiction of the momentous struggle to shape Costa Rica's democratic identity; it's also a portrayal of how a courageous woman escaped the confines of a traditional, sheltered existence to expand her horizons into a new world, and live a life she never imagined.
First Lady of the Revolution debuted in Birmingham, Alabama, at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival on August 27, 2016, where it won the Audience Award for Best Alabama Film and a Jury Award Honorable Mention. [4] Henrietta Boggs also received the inaugural Spirit of Sidewalk Award. [5] The film had its Costa Rican premiere on September 13, 2016, at the Cine Magaly in San José, [6] followed by a limited theatrical run in Costa Rica, New York City and Mexico.
The United States premiere was held at The Capri Theatre in Montgomery, Alabama, with Henrietta Boggs MacGuire and director Andrea Kalin in attendance and answering audience questions. [1]
The film broadcast in 2018 as part of Reel South on PBS, [7] a series that exhibits documentaries focusing on the Southern United States and the region's diverse voices and points of view.
Following its premiere at Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in 2016, Rick Harmon of Montgomery Advertiser wrote "It's a fascinating documentary...it leaves viewers hungering for more..." [5] According to Eric Ginsburg of Triad City Beat First Lady of the Revolution "offers a unique perspective on a conflict that’s often overlooked." [8] First Lady of the Revolution was the winner of the Audience Choice Award at Fairhope Film Festival [9] and the Hoka Award for Best Documentary Feature at Oxford International Film Festival. [10] The film also won three TIVA-DC awards, [11] an IndieFEST Award of Excellence [12] and a Spotlight Award. [13]
José María Hipólito Figueres Ferrer served as President of Costa Rica on three occasions: 1948–1949, 1953–1958 and 1970–1974. During his first term in office he abolished the country's army, nationalized its banking sector, and granted women and Afro-Costa Ricans the right to vote, as well as access to Costa Rican nationality to people of African descent. He was a good friend of the Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín, praising his political achievements in one of his essays.
The Sidewalk Film Festival is an annual film festival taking place during the last weekend in August in the Theatre District of Birmingham, Alabama, since 1999. The festival typically screens at seven venues located within downtown Birmingham, featuring the restored Alabama Theatre, a 2,200 seat movie palace built by Paramount in 1927, and multiple screening rooms in the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
Rita Karen Olsen Beck is a Danish American-Costa Rican diplomat, politician and social worker. She has served as the First Lady of Costa Rica during the governments of her husband Jose Figueres Ferrer 1954-1958 and 1970–1974, a Legislative Assemblywoman and the Ambassador of Costa Rica to Israel.
Spark Media is an American independent multimedia and documentary production house based in Washington, D.C., United States.
Andrea Kalin is an American independent filmmaker, writer, producer, and director. She is also the principal and founder of Spark Media and founder and Executive Director of Stone Soup Productions, a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation.
Grace Lee is an American director and producer. She is known for both her documentaries and narrative films, which often mix in elements of documentaries.
Roger M. Sherman is an American filmmaker – a cinematographer, director, producer, still photographer, and author best known for his work in documentary cinema. He is a founder of Florentine Films. His most widely recognized documentaries are Alexander Calder (1998), Richard Rogers: The Sweetest Sounds (2001), Don't Divorce the Children (1989), Medal of Honor (2008), The Restaurateur (2010), Zapruder and Stolley: Witness to an Assassination (2011), his upcoming two-hour PBS special, The Search for Israeli Cuisine, The Rhythm of My Soul (2006), and The American Brew (2007). His films have won an Emmy Award, a Peabody Award, and two Academy Award nominations, among other honors.
Bruce Larsen is an American fine art sculptor and special effect artist. He is best known for his sculptures depicting animals and famous athletes, made from recycled objects.
Boggs is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
A Dog Named Gucci is a 2015 documentary film by Gorman Bechard that chronicles the story of an Alabama puppy set on fire, and the man who came to his rescue. The film made its American festival debut in February 2015 at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.
Henrietta Longstreet Boggs was an American author, journalist, and activist. She served as First Lady of Costa Rica from 1948 to 1949 in the years immediately following the Costa Rican Civil War. She turned 100 in May 2018.
Bathtubs Over Broadway is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Dava Whisenant. Comedy writer Steve Young’s assignment to scour bargain-bin vinyl for a late-night segment becomes an unexpected, decades-spanning obsession when he stumbles upon the strange and hilarious world of industrial musicals. The film premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and was released on November 30, 2018 by Focus World.
Cinema of Costa Rica refers to the film industry based in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican cinema comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of Costa Rica or by Costa Rican filmmakers abroad.
Triad City Beat is a free weekly alternative newspaper with distribution in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point in North Carolina. The paper was founded in 2014 by Brian Clarey, Jordan Green and Eric Ginsburg, who were former editors and reporters for YES! Weekly. The newspaper primarily covers topics local to the Triad such as news, politics, culture, opinion, music, and food. It has an estimated circulation of 10,000, and is published every Thursday.
Marilyn Ness is a documentary film producer and director based in New York City She is known for social justice documentaries, including Bad Blood: A Cautionary Tale (2010), Cameraperson (2016), and most notably, Charm City (2018). Her recent projects include Netflix Original documentary Becoming with Michelle Obama, which was nominated for four Primetime Emmy awards and Netflix Original documentary Dick Johnson is Dead, which was on the Academy Award Shortlist for Best Documentary in 2021. She is currently an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University.
Events in the year 2020 in Costa Rica.
Jasper Mall is a 2020 documentary film directed by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb. It revolves around the Jasper Mall, a dying mall in Jasper, Alabama.