Cinema is one of the most powerful tools for preserving culture, telling untold stories, and bridging generational gaps. For filmmaker Ricky Rosario, storytelling is not just an artistic pursuit. It is also a way of honouring his heritage and identity.

His latest project, B is for Bachata, is more than a film. It can be seen as a rhythmic journey through Dominican history, music, and the immigrant experience.

In this conversation, Ricky opens up about his creative process, the significance of cultural representation, and the challenges of bringing this deeply personal story to life.

1. Ricky, please tell us a bit about your journey as a filmmaker so far?

Ricky: My journey up to this point has been a bit unconventional but with every career shift, it has led to transferable skills and continuous learning. With over 14 years of working in the Film & Entertainment industry, being a creative and a storyteller in all my capacities, was always the underlying passion. An important lesson I’ve endured through all my experiences and being a filmmaker is adaptability. This skill set is not only a technical asset but also an artistic strength. Adapt and execute.

2. What inspired you to tell this particular story through your film ‘B is for Bachata’?

Ricky: The need to create was the initial spark that inspired this story. We’re going through some trying times in our industry right now and in our country. After very little to no work the last couple of years, I made it a point to figure out how to stay creative. I was driven to illustrate parts of being Dominican through the music and the history of Bachata. The music has had a global evolution with the genre going from family living rooms, to all corners of the world, and all over our social media pages.

3. As a Dominican filmmaker, how important is it for you to represent your culture in your work?

Ricky: As a Dominican filmmaker, all I want to do is connect audiences with as many pieces of my culture as I can. To show audiences that we’re all not that different. As much as most people don’t want to believe it, we’re all immigrants. All of our families started somewhere in a far-reaching land of the world. With “B is for Bachata” my goal was to provide context about a genre of music that people have probably heard or danced to without knowing its history. And of course, everyone knows Aventura and Romeo. But Bachata has been around for over 70 years, and in some respects, it is not supposed to be here or be as popular as it is right now.

4. Do you find much of yourself or your experiences reflected in any specific character in your film?

Ricky: I feel like I hold a little bit of each of the cousin’s sentiments with Bachata and our culture in its entirety. As children of immigrants, some of us are born in DR and some of us are born in the States. Although the birthplaces may be different, we should still hold an appreciation for our lineage and ancestry that makes us who we are.

5. The film seems to highlight a generational disconnect in immigrant families. Something that could be very relatable for many. How important do you think film is in solving this issue?

Ricky: The art of visual relatability. That’s what film and storytelling is. B is for Bachata highlights an aspect of immigrant life that goes through constant evolutions generation after generation. Immigrant families are supposed to evolve, but they should never lose sight of their past.

6. ‘B is for Bachata’? has a unique style. What influenced this creative approach?

Ricky: The approach of the film was to connect the present with the past through a genre of music and visual texture. The film was shot both digitally and on 16mm Kodak film on the Arri Alexa 35 and the Arri 416 Plus. The 16mm film, which we had both color and black & white, allowed us to give parts of the story an “old footage” type of feel while still cohesively staying in the present world.

7. Do you see yourself expanding on this theme in future projects?

Ricky: There is a “B is for Bachata” feature film in the works that expands on a deeper understanding of the genre’s history and survival through the Trujillo dictatorship. The feature will pay homage to some of the real artists who have paved the way for Bachata’s evolution. Shooting on actual film stock is an aspect of my storytelling that I want to continue to explore.

8. What would you say was the biggest challenge you faced while writing or directing this film?

Ricky: The biggest challenge in writing this film was how to effectively get across what I was seeing in my head. The film that was on paper ended up being a very different film than the one I ended up directing. And a lot more for the better, which for that I’m eternally grateful to all those who collaborated with me on this film to bring it to life. Some of the changes that evolved from the script to what was on screen were a result of keeping tight parameters for our storytelling goals as a team.

9. What do you hope viewers of this film, especially children of immigrants, take away from this film and the story it tells?

Ricky: I hope the takeaway for viewers is to never lose sight of tradition and what makes them who they are. We’re more similar than different and it’s just a matter of finding the pieces of ourselves that truly connects us. And for a lot of parts of the world, that is music.

10. Finally, what advice can you share with anyone looking to make a film that captures themes of cultural representation?

Ricky: Make it for you. Everything else will fall into place. Make the film you’d enjoy, or that you would like to see made. Every type of story has been told before. Love stories, revenge stories, coming-of-age stories, and the list goes on. The only differences are the worlds we are exploring. Let’s keep exploring how to capture our cultural representation.

At its core, ‘B is for Bachata’ is a love letter to tradition, resilience, and the universal language of music.

Ricky’s passion for storytelling, combined with his technical and artistic choices, offers a fresh perspective on the immigrant experience and the evolution of Bachata. As he sets his sights on expanding this story into a feature film, one thing remains clear. His dedication to sharing and preserving Dominican culture through cinema is unwavering and must be acknowledged.

In Conversation With Reina K., brings to you the kind of scoop that gives you a real insight into the mind, drive and craft of filmmakers from across the world.