Don’t miss the documentary Pelotero, narrated by John Leguizamo and Executive Produced by Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine. This Screening at the Independent Film Festival Boston is supported by The Boston Latino International Film Festival. In Spanish w/English subtitles.
PELOTERO
Thursday, April 26th – 7PM @ Somerville Theater.
Get your tickets in advance HERE.
Folks in the Dominican Republic love baseball, and apparently a lot of them are good at it, too: despite the fact that the DRÂ’s population is merely one-thirtieth the size of the United StatesÂ’, more than 10% of last seasonÂ’s Major League players were born in there. The ranks of Dominican-born players include plenty of recent and current big-name stars, such as David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Sammy Sosa, Jose Reyes, and Albert Pujols.
Given these highly visible success stories from an otherwise impoverished nation, itÂ’s not surprising that many Dominican teens (and their families) see a baseball career as their best chance for material success. Conversely, the number of great players the nation has produced naturally prompts Major League teams to invest heavily in scouting and signing promising young prospects there; if even one of these players blossoms into a star, it will be time and money well spent for the franchise.
Jean Carlos Batista and Miguel Angel Sano are two of these ballplayers, or peloteros. This film follows their respective attempts to navigate the final few months leading up to their hoped-for contracts with Major League teams. Surrounded by relatives who depend on them–and agents, trainers, and team representatives who hope to profit from them–both of these young men must step carefully to avoid the snares of incipient wealth and celebrity. Directors Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin, and Jonathan Paley in attendance.
Synopsis by Kyle Parrish
