‘The Cry of the Butterflies’, the new Disney+ series, presents its exciting true story in this exclusive preview

‘The cry of the butterflies’ tells the true story of the Dominican lawyer and activist Minerva Mirabal, who fought against the regime of Rafael Trujillo, alias “El Chivo”, and who was assassinated along with her sisters on November 25, 1960 by order of the dictator. In this exclusive video, the technical and art team of the series tell us more about the approach of the story, based on true events. This new Disney+ proposition is a historical drama of 13 x 45-minute episodes and will premiere on March 8, International Women’s Day.

The central story of “The Cry of the Butterflies” is the friendship between Minerva Mirabal and the young Spanish immigrant Arantxa Oyamburu. “Minerva and Arantxa live on opposite sides of the dictatorship and their experiences [y] decisions help mark the end of the Trujillo regime”, explains Sandy Hernández, who plays Minerva. The character of Aranxta didn’t actually exist, but “she represents the women of the regime who have been abused, who have gone through all that violence”. The character is played by Spanish actress Susana Abaitua, who ensures Arantxa a great emotional journey, from naivety to anger.

The series narrates the bond between the two young female fighters, whose acts for more than two decades have been marked by the brutal events of the “El Chivo” dictatorship. “It’s a very engaging and very exciting series”, says director Mariano Hueter, who directs the series with Leandro Piña and Inés París. For her part, the protagonist claims to be “raw” and this is “decidedly” made you think.

In addition to Sandy Hernández and Susana Bilbatua, the main cast is completed by Cuban actor Luis Alberto García as Rafael Leónidas Trujillo and Belén Rueda as the writer who wants to tell the story of Minerva. The rest of the cast includes Guillermo Toledo as Asier Oyamburu, Mercedes Sampietro as Arantxa Oyamburu in 1999, Héctor Noas as Petán Trujillo, Maridalia Hernández as Doña Chea Mirabal, Jairo Camargo as Enrique Mirabal, Essined Aponte as Dede Mirabal, Alina Robert as Patria Mirabal and Camila Issa as María Teresa Mirabal.

evocative title

Minerva Mirabal was called “La Mariposa”, a nickname that her sisters would also have when they became involved in politics, known as “Las Mariposas” against Trujillo. “Butterflies will become the emblem of all women in the world”says Belén Rueda’s character in the series. “That’s right, butterflies don’t scream”points out Argentinian author and showrunner Juan Pablo Buscarini, winner of a Goya Award for ‘Pérez, the mouse of your dreams.’ “When you read that title, your imagination opens up to understand that there is much more behind it”. On March 8, ‘The Cry of the Butterflies’ will be available on Disney+ and we will be able to understand firsthand the meaning behind the title.