From the track to the big screen: the Marileidy Paulino film opens today in theaters nationwide

Santo Domingo — The story of Marileidy Paulino, the Dominican Olympic champion, reaches the big screen: the fiction film Marileidy opens this Thursday, October 22, in theaters across the country, distributed by Caribbean Cinemas, following its gala premiere at Caribbean Cinemas Downtown Center, MDX News reported.

The film, directed by Tito Rodríguez and starring athlete Yisneidi Alcántara in the lead role, traces Paulino's humble origins, the economic hardships of her youth and the sacrifices that shaped her path to becoming one of the most important figures in world athletics, an Olympic gold medalist at the Paris 2024 Games. Actor Yarlo Ruiz also appears, and the production was filmed in the Dominican Republic and Colombia.

Executive producers Jessica Hasbún and Kelvin Liria revealed the project began taking shape in 2019, after learning closely about the sprinter's story of perseverance. "It is a call to accompany them along the road, not just at the finish line," Liria said of the film's purpose. Director Rodríguez stressed that "stories worth telling don't have to wait" and should be celebrated while their protagonists are alive.

At the gala, Marileidy herself expressed her hope that the film will inspire children and young people to believe in their abilities and chase their goals regardless of their circumstances, including the stages when she lacked enough resources to feed herself. The production was backed by the Ministry of Sports, DGCINE and dozens of private-sector sponsors.

Photo: MDX News

Source: MDX News