PRINCIPALS
Flamenco: an art that speaks to the soul, and frees the emotions
Eve A. Ma, PRODUCER – DIRECTOR
Like many other independent filmmakers, Eve A. Ma is primarily self-taught. She became interested in film ⁄ video when, in an earlier career, she produced a television interview series for a cultural nonprofit. After leaving the nonprofit, she decided to continue working in media.
Starting off in public access work, she has honed her skills and her productions are now accepted into international film festivals all over the world. Several, including this one, have aired over national public television in the United States (PBS and others). As she puts it, I learn by making mistakes – and because I’ve made plenty, I’ve learned a lot!
Beyond Flamenco: the Land Is Still Fertile, Ma is best known for her documentaries including especially an early one, Of Beauty & Deities: Music and Dance of India, and the more recent Masters of Rhythm the Afro-Peruvian Way. plus Rasaki’s Drums and Nigeria’s Yorubá. Her film work continues, of course, so look for more in the coming years.
A hallmark of Ma’s work is its engagement with other cultures. She has been a professor of Chinese and Japanese history, has traveled to more than 20 countries, and has produced work in Spain and Peru as well as the USA. Ma speaks Spanish, French and some Mandarin as well as English, and many of her productions are in both Spanish and English.
Antonio de la Malena, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, NARRATOR
Antonio de la Malena joined Palomino Productions in 2012 as our principal associate in Spain. A native of Jerez de la Frontera, a city considered to be part of the cradle of flamenco,
he has been a professional flamenco singer (cantaor) since childhood.
De la Malena’s interest in film comes out of his extensive experience with stage productions, for which he has acted as artistic director as well as principal cantaor, most notably in association with the dancer María del Mar Moreno with whom he has performed all over the world. In addition, he has been awarded the prize of Best Flamenco Singer in the prestigious, annual Flamenco Festival of Jerez de la Frontera numerous times. He also has several solo albums to his name.
De la Malena’s experimental short film, Entre Silencio y Misterio, premiered in the Festival de Cortometrajes de Jerez, Spain, several years ago. Since that time, he has acted as assistant to the producer-director in several of Palomino Production’s works and starred in Ma’s feature-length drama, Domino: Caught in the Crisis. He is the associate director for Flamenco: the Land Is Still Fertile as well as the documentary’s narrator, and one of its featured singers.
The stars, the directors, the experts, and some of the crew.
