Santo Domingo, July 2025. With the visit to the filming set of the director of the General Directorate of Cinema (DGCINE), Marianna Vargas, the filming of the documentary “DOMINICANA: A Republic of Records”, concluded, a production that exalts two historical milestones of Dominican culture, both certified by Guinness World Records: the largest merengue dance in the world and the largest bachata dance in the world.
The audiovisual work, protected under Law 108-10 for the Promotion of Cinematographic Activity, is a production of “TimeCode Films” in co-production with “AZ Films Producciones”, under the direction of “Alberto Zayas”. Beyond documenting the impressive figures —422 couples dancing merengue in Plaza España in 2019 and 489 bachata couples on the Malecón of Santo Domingo in 2021—, the film delves into the cultural, artistic, and social value that these musical genres represent for the Dominican people.
“From the beginning, I knew this dream was not only possible, but necessary,” says Zayas, director and ideologue of the project. “This documentary is a tribute to perseverance, talent, and the identity of a country that has made its passion an eternal legacy.”
Narrated by the protagonists of this collective feat, the documentary pays tribute to a production team that managed to unite an entire nation behind a common goal. “What we experienced during those days was a true act of love for our culture. This documentary is our way of telling the world who we are,” expressed
Giancarlo Beras-Goico, producer of the film.
The photography was handled by
César Zayas, while the script was written by the outstanding creative
Juan Manuel Tejeda. As an added value, the documentary includes the testimonies of the Guinness World Records judges who certified the events, providing an international perspective on the validity and significance of these records.
The recordings took place in emblematic settings such as Plaza España and the Malecón in Santo Domingo, capturing not only the planning and execution of the events, but also the human and emotional stories that made them a reality.
“DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: A Republic of Records” seeks to inspire new generations, strengthen the sense of national identity, and show the world the cultural richness that merengue and bachata represent for the Dominican Republic.
