Dominican Republic / 2023 / 94 min / English / Romantic Comedy
David’s bookstore in Brooklyn is going broke. His mother stops by to tell David that his father, Jesse, who he thought was long dead, has actually been living the highlife in the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately for David, he died of a heart-attack last week. Fortunately for David, he left him his Caribbean mansion. If David can sell the house, with the help of the charming real estate agent Maria, he can pay off his debts and turn the bookstore into the place of his dreams. His girlfriend Rachel is more skeptical. It should be simple: fly to the Dominican Republic, sell the house. As time stretches on and the house hasn’t sold, David discovers what drew his father to this tropical paradise and it’s warm, welcoming people; and how much they truly loved him. Will David sell and return to New York with Rachel, or will the realtor Maria, along with the island and its people, win his heart?
DIRECTOR: Geoffrey Cowper was born 1986 in Terrassa, Barcelona, to an Australian father and a Spanish mother, as far as he can remember Geoffrey always wanted to be a film director. In 2009 he graduated from Escuela Superior de Cine y Audiovisuales de Cataluña specializing in direction. Cargols! (Snails!), his graduation project, a romantic comedy featuring a giant snail, premiered in Sitges, and it was selected by more than 100 festivals around the globe. He co-wrote, co-produced and directed his feature film debut, Tercer Grado (Day Release), and was selected by more than 20 festivals and won over 15 awards. He then taught film for various years at university, while shooting many music videos for a diverse array of Spanish pop artists. In 2023 he directed an episode for NETFLIX of “Berlin”, the “Money Heist” spin off. Currently he combines teaching with the development of his next feature film project.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: I am a sucker for rom-coms so I wanted to direct Books & Drinks the moment I read Josep Ciutat’s script with its witty dialogue, captivating characters and humor. It’s a film with fast-paced dialogue and lots of heart, and shooting it in the Dominican Republic added a very special charm. As someone who knows both Spanish and English culture, I could identify with David’s being a fish-out-of-water and explore the comedic potential of those cultural differences. As a dreamer and a hopeless romantic myself I relate to David’s pursuit of his dreams and his determination to find the love of his life.
Contact: andresrz@veranerafilms.com
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