Meet Cuban-Haitian, Venezuelan, and Dominican Actress, Writer, and Producer of “Golden Flower”, Isadora Ortega
Hello, Hustle and Soul Magazine readers! It is our distinct pleasure to introduce you to the Los Angeles-based Cuban-Haitian, Venezuelan, and Dominican actress, writer, and producer Isadora Ortega. She has acted in countless movies such as ‘Another Love Story’, ‘Hope Street Holiday’, Killer Bae Since 2019′, and many more!
We’ve obtained an exclusive interview with Isadora to learn more about her role as producer of the feature film ‘GOLDEN FLOWER’. ‘Golden Flower’ is Directed by Academy-nominated filmmaker, David Massey (African American) and introduces Isadora M. Ortega (Afro-Latina) as the lead and EP, this film is inspired by the true events and life of Anacaona.
Anacaona (aka Golden Flower) was an indigenous Taino kasiké (chief), during the 1500s in the Caribbean. Much myth was spread about the Taino after their discovery. They died of disease. They fled south. Their culture doesn’t exist anymore. Our short film helps shift that narrative but with a modern-day twist, as we see the de Ovando family’s descendants benefit from their ill-got gains.
The majority of filming occurred on the island of Puerto Rico, where one of the Taino capitals once existed. The team worked with language consultants and philologists who restored the Taino language to its current state. Additional consultants helped guide the creative staff with the layout of the bohios (huts) and stones, musical composition, and cultural influences of the lost tribes. Authenticity was their guiding light for presenting a story untold.
Hustle and Soul Magazine readers, please enjoy our interview!
Congratulations on this epic accomplishment of taking on the role of producer for the short film ‘GOLDEN FLOWER’. What can you tell us about it?
Isadora: Golden Flower short film” is an adaptation of the graphic novel ‘The Curse of the Flower’. Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker, David Massey and I am the lead and executive producer, this film is inspired by the true events and life of Anacaona.
What inspired the idea of ‘GOLDEN FLOWER’, the short film?
Isadora: The life and the death of Anacaona, and the destruction and colonization of the Taino people was my inspiration.
As an actress, writer, and producer, how do you balance and navigate these positions?
Isadora: I don’t really categorize things in negative and positive ways. I honestly believe that everything requires work and some days it’s going to be easier than others. Anything you want and desire in life is worth putting in work.
Being Haitian, Dominican, Cuban and Venezuelan, how does your cultural background shape the decision you make when choosing acting roles?
Isadora: I like roles that mimic real life. No one is really bad or really good. We all question life in different aspects. We all are conflicted when it comes to different topics and I like those roles that are conflicted between what is right and what is ethically wrong or what is ethically right who to love and who not to love. However, when it comes to me as a creator, I want to create and I want to tell stories that highlight who we are as people in different aspects historically who we are as people. I like to use real-life stories and shape them and add a fictional aspect to it and make them more exciting and more digestible. I love working with the foundation of people that are alive or stories that I have heard and then I could just put my twist to it that’s exciting to me.
Happy mid-April! What does this month look like for you?
Isadora: April and the upcoming months my main focus is ‘Golden Flower’ and the film festival that we are submitting to. Marketing and promoting the film.
Any exclusive news you can share with Hustle and Soul first?
Isadora: I’m working on a pilot, more details are coming soon.
What do you enjoy most about working in the entertainment industry?
Isadora: I get to create and that’s a beautiful thing. It is an amazing process to see a project evolve from words on a page to a visual image with sound, actors, music, lighting, etc.
What else would you like our readers to know about you and the work that you do outside of entertainment?
Isadora: I would like to tell the readers that we need an alliance to share our film ‘Golden Flower’ to help us spread the word to the world. This project is very special, this is the first time that the actual Taino language has been spoken on a film in full dialogue.
Keep up to date online:
@lablacklatina Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
Photography: Michael J. @themichael_j
MUA: Christine Tirado @christinetirado_mua
Hairstylist: Arend Jackson @arend.jackson with @mcintyremanagement
Location: 1:11 Studios @111studios.dtla
Project Coordinator: Handz Dirty PR @handzdirtypr
