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Dominican Director Leticia Tonos: With AIRE: Just Breathe, I tried to break away from regional expectations and talk about the planet’s future
Maribel Ramos-Weiner| 11 de diciembre de 2024
Leticia Tonos Paniagua, the director and screenwriter of AIRE: Just Breathe
The Dominican-Spanish science fiction thriller AIRE: Just Breathe is the fifth film directed by Leticia Tonos.
Leticia Tonos Paniagua, the director and screenwriter of AIRE: Just Breathe, the official Dominican Republic submission for the shortlist in the International Feature Film category at the 87th Academy Awards, told PRODU that the film reflects her growth as a filmmaker.
“This is the fourth time one of my films has been selected to represent us at the Oscars, which I value greatly and take very seriously. I would say that although my themes are varied and eclectic, there is always a recurring thread: the exploration of Latin and Caribbean identity, a theme that features in all my films,” she shared.
Before AIRE: Just Breathe, Tonos directed four films: La Hija Natural, Cristo Rey (which explores the coexistence of two cultures on the same island: the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Juanita (a co-production with Spain), and Mis Quinientos Locos.
In AIRE: Just Breathe, a conservationist biologist fights against extinction with the help of artificial intelligence. However, the arrival of a mysterious traveler with a hidden past introduces tensions as toxic as the world they inhabit.
BREAKING THE MOLD
Tonos explained that with AIRE: Just Breathe, she broke away from the typical narratives expected from the region. “Usually, if you’re Latin or Caribbean, people expect stories about social issues, migration, or other important topics. But with this film, I wanted to rebel a bit because we also have the right to discuss subjects like the future. We deserve to join conversations about what will happen to humanity on this planet—the relationship with artificial intelligence, women’s control over their bodies, and issues we thought were resolved but are resurfacing. It’s a very current theme, and people find it intriguing that such topics are being addressed from the Caribbean,” she noted.
The screenplay for AIRE: Just Breathe was co-written by Tonos, Junior Rosario, and Rodolfo Báez. Tonos and Jalsen Santana served as producers, while the cast included Paz Vega (who voices Vida, the artificial intelligence), Jalsen Santana, Sophie Gómez, and Camila Cosio.
Image of the bunker construction for AIRE: Just Breathe
The story is set in a dystopian future and faces significant budgetary challenges. “This genre is considered taboo in our region because it’s generally expensive—you have to create a whole new world. The special effects consume a lot of the budget, but we were fortunate to partner with Lantica Studios, a massive and wonderful studio in Santo Domingo,” she explained. She added that the Dominican Republic’s tax incentives were also crucial.
“Without the Incentive Law, this movie couldn’t have been made. A month ago, we were very worried because a tax reform was being proposed that would eliminate the Film Law. There was some activism and protests, and luckily, they saw reason. But I emphasize this because this movie was made thanks to that Incentive Law, which financed, I’d say, 90% of it. The other 10% was covered through a co-production with a Spanish company that handled all the image production and special effects,” Tonos noted.
The film premiered on August 15 in the Dominican Republic, and its world premiere took place at the Rotterdam Festival, “which fills us with pride because it’s a Class A festival.” The film’s distributor, Latido Films, is working to place it in other markets worldwide.
She highlighted that building the bunker where the scientist in the movie lives was a major challenge. “During the production and pre-production stages, creating the refuge—the bunker, that laboratory where the doctor lives—was a beautiful creative process but also very challenging due to the lack of resources. Cristóbal Valecillos, the designer, was a key figure. He was responsible for designing that entire world: how the laboratory would look, the costumes, everything on a conceptual level that was important to us. Some of it might not even be noticeable in the movie, but all the design for the bunker was inspired by a womb,” Tonos explained.
To conclude, she emphasized that the production employed several sustainability practices to reduce its environmental impact.
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