Peanuts Entertainment, a production company focused on developing what it describes as “culturally rooted Latin American stories for international audiences,” has launched in London.
The new outfit has been founded by Dominican actor-filmmaker Amílcar Franco, a graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. As an actor, Franco will next appear in Gareth Evans’ “A Colt Is My Passport” for Amazon MGM Studios and Orion Pictures, but behind the camera for Peanuts is looking to build a slate of productions connecting the U.K., Latin America and the Caribbean.
Alongside the company launch, Peanuts has also unveiled its flagship project. “Alive In Their Garden,” a Spanish-language period drama inspired by the legacy of the Mirabal Sisters, siblings in the Dominican Republic who opposed the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Three of the sisters were assassinated in 1960, turning them into national heroines alongside symbols of both popular and feminist resistance.
“Alive In Their Garden” was developed through a collaboration with Minou Tavárez Mirabal and Jaqueline Guzmán Mirabal, alongside the Mirabal Sisters House Museum. The project launches during the centenary year of Minerva Mirabal.
As part of the development process, Franco worked closely with Minou Tavárez Mirabal and Jaqueline Guzmán Mirabal, conducting research at the museum and Fortaleza San Felipe in Puerto Plata. The filmmaking team was granted access to archival photographs, historical documentation and personal artefacts associated with the sisters. Among the materials were original garments, accessories and handbags connected to their final journey on 25 November 1960, later recognised by the United Nations as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
“Alive in Their Garden” was shot entirely on 16mm, with support from Kodak and Harbor, reflecting what Peanuts Entertainment says is its “commitment to a celluloid-first production model.” The San Felipe Fort was recreated in Central London during winter by a creative team led by a female cinematographer, editor and production designer. Casting was overseen by Emmy-winning casting director Olissa Rogers (“Wednesday,” “Ted Lasso”), with an international ensemble including Karl Queensborough (“Hamilton,” “West End”) alongside performers from Spain, Argentina and the Dominican Republic.
Beyond “Alive In Their Garden,” Peanuts Entertainment’s inaugural slate includes its first completed production, “The Peanut Vendors.” The feature revisits the legacy of the iconic Cuban song “El Manisero,” featuring narration by three-time Olivier Award winner Alex Jennings, vocals by Grammy-nominated performer Christine Allado, and a new arrangement by Marcin Mazurek, composer of the BAFTA-winning short “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”