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Woodpeckers

Released Sep 15, 2017 1h 46m Drama TRAILER for List
80% Tomatometer 15 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Incarcerated in the Dominican Republic, an inmate uses sign language to communicate with his imprisoned girlfriend at an adjacent institution.

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Woodpeckers

Critics Reviews

View All (15) Critics Reviews
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader [Woodpeckers] is an emotional hothouse. Oct 26, 2017 Full Review Matthew Lickona San Diego Reader Cabral's depiction of prison society feels measured and just: there is no pretending that it isn't awful, but nor is there a denial of basic human feeling. Rated: 3/5 Sep 22, 2017 Full Review Andy Webster New York Times Jos Mara Cabral's arresting drama "Woodpeckers (Carpinteros)" could be called love in a pressure cooker, but that would be understating its vivid textures and palpable vitality. Sep 14, 2017 Full Review Victor Pineyro Seventh Art Studio Somehow Cabral accomplishes an almost impossible task to talk about the raw reality of Dominican prisons, and tell a love story while doing so. Beautifully filmed. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 8/10 Sep 29, 2020 Full Review Michael J. Casey Boulder Weekly The power of the real Jul 21, 2019 Full Review Shane Slater AwardsCircuit.com Woodpeckers is a film that showcases an emerging talent. Rated: 3/4 Dec 4, 2017 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (4) audience reviews
r96 s I was hooked! 'Woodpeckers' is a terrific prison flick. I do tend to like movies in such locations, you can create some good drama within such confines. This one is no different, it doesn't necessarily do anything spectacularly unique but it executes the storyline supremely well. The plot moves along at a brisk pace, made so thanks to some interesting subplots. The acting is very good too. Jean Jean leads strongly, he is supported more than ably by Ramón Emilio Candelario and Judith Rodriguez Perez. The rest of the cast play their parts well too. The way the characters communicate for large periods is expertly portrayed, super well done. Their story comes up big at the end, I like the way they decided to go with the conclusion. Quality viewing, in my opinion. Merits more eyes on it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/05/24 Full Review Audience Member Such a good movie, very intense ! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review fernando r A proud red tomato for this Dominican film. A love without bars. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I just saw this at the Seattle International Film Festival, and thought it was amazing. The authenticity is extraordinary, and the actors did an outstanding job. The plot keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is a very gritty look at the scary lives that prisoners lead, and there is no sugar coating. But seamlessly woven into the portrayal of the harsh reality of daily life in prison is a compelling romance, beautifully portrayed by the actors, that brings a subtle Romeo and Juliet quality to the story and softens the movie's hard edges. The director, who did a Q&A afterwards, explained that this movie was filmed in the actual jails, with 80% of the actors actually being the inmates and guards in the jail. This explains why this movie feels so much more real and authentic than most films; meanwhile the highly skilled professional actors who play the main characters draw the audience in very effectively. The rebellion scene at the end is remarkable in that it was actually filmed over four hours when the director literally told the inmates to fight with each other. Overall, the movie succeeds remarkably well at telling a deeply moving story that humanizes prisoners and connects us to people who on the surface seem so different from anyone we have known. The director chose an ending that is not what one would expect, with final scenes that work surprisingly well, including the very last scene, which intentionally leaves much to the imagination. This director is incredibly talented and is willing to go much further into the real world to make his artistic vision connect with reality. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone who values authenticity and the power of film to humanize. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Woodpeckers

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Incarcerated in the Dominican Republic, an inmate uses sign language to communicate with his imprisoned girlfriend at an adjacent institution.
Director
José María Cabral
Producer
José María Cabral
Screenwriter
José María Cabral
Distributor
Outsider Pictures, Strand Releasing
Production Co
Film Factory
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 15, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 9, 2018
Runtime
1h 46m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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