The Feast of the Goat

Synopsis

Rafael Trujillo joins the army and makes a long career there achieving the rank of general. From this position, he plans a coup d’état against the dictator in turn, Eusebio Porras. After an interim period in which he rules a military junta, Trujillo takes control of the Dominican Republic after some rather questionable elections that win him a considerable amount of opponents.

When it comes to seducing or putting women down, Trujillo disregards age and marital status. This hidden trait is the engine of his existence and what determines the entire country’s future.

To be able to govern, thrive and satisfy his needs, Trujillo has a court of stalwarts among which stand out Práxedes, his brother; Rosita, an artist with an obscure past who has become a relentless supporter of Trujillo; and Johnny Abbes, an unprincipled person that becomes the regime´s terror.

Mariana Durán, the president´s submissive wife, is Rafael’s fundamental support and comes to be the charismatic image of the government.

On the other hand, Lázaro is a well-known journalist who comes back from exile with the firm intention of unmasking the dictator, but he ends up being seduced by the president´s irresistible charm. Lázaro becomes a building block of the government from his position as a press officer.

As he has more and more control over all the sensitive areas of the Dominican society, Trujillo eliminates the free press and restricts democracy. The union leaders are subject to persecution, so as anyone that is not on the President´s side whom he hunts violently.

When the regime’s mask begins to fall, Lázaro tries to leave the government; however, Mariana makes him reconsider. Soon after, he is nominated for the presidency and gets to be elected thanks to Rafael Trujillo’s machine. Some time afterwards, Lázaro gets completely tired of Trujillo and quits the presidency. His absence in the government along with the distance that is growing between Mariana and Rafael, transform Trujillo into an isolated and sick Head of State.

Mariana goes through another miscarriage which seems to be a curse for the family and receives a letter from Ángela, her sister, informing her that she is leaving the country. Sad and lonely, Mariana starts looking for her sister without finding her, so she turns to Lázaro, who was always in love with her, to help her find her.

Ángela is in the worst of conditions. Rafael has locked her up in a hidden jail where he sexually abuses her. As a result of such abuses, a baby is born; Rafael takes the baby and delivers him to Mariana so that she raises him, making her believe that the child is an orphan. Mariana adopts the baby and she gives him all her love, but she can´t quit the need to satisfy her curiosity for knowing the real history behind the child. That is how she learns that some prisoner gave birth in jail around that time. After carrying out some investigations, Mariana finds the woman in a mental institution and she can´t believe her eyes when she recognizes her sister Ángela.

Devastated, Mariana comes back searching for Rafael, holding an immense hunger for revenge inside her. 

Format

Telenovela

70 x 60'

Traditional

Credits

General Producer: Madeleine Contreras - Vice President Of Development: Hugo León Ferrer - Scripts: Kiko Olivieri - Based on the literary work “La Fiesta del Chivo”/ “The Feast of the Goat” of Mario Vargas Llosa - Year: 2012

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