The 12-minute 2015 film 7 gramos (7 Grams)—directed by Jonatán Vila and Hadzael Gómez—will be screened in the shorts program at the 6th Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival, taking place September 13-18, 2016, in Santo Domingo. [See previous post 6th Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival.] The film centers on a nest of Hispaniolan Emeralds (Chlorostilbon swainsonii), a hummingbird found in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Description: Based on a true story in a small rural community in the Dominican Republic, 7 gramos tells the story of a Hispaniolan Emerald (one of the smallest birds in the world, endemic species) who decides to build her nest and lay her eggs in a support pillar of a school building under construction. After two weeks, her little chicks hatch. Along with their mother, the chicks begin their daily routine. Meanwhile, the construction workers, in order to finish their job, must decide whether to leave the birds’ nest where it is, or remove it. (In Spanish with English subtitles.)

For more information, see http://dceff.org/film/7-grams/ and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5422256/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

For more on the Hispaniolan Emerald, see https://www.beautyofbirds.com/hispaniolanemeralds.html