Friday, October 30, 2009

Clockwise, from top left, some of the "A Fondo" subjects: a Hare Krishna disciple, Gov. Romero Barceló, Salvador Freixedo and Salvador Tio.
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By Peggy Ann Bliss
of the The Star Staff
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A confusing sign on a construction site, a taxi driver making up his own words to "Mio Viejo San Juan", women giving their views on abortion, a shaved-headed Hare Krishna disciple, and an unsolved crime re-enacted.
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These are some of the real life vignettes the viewer will be able to see on a soon-to-be-released local news feature probram, "A Fondo". The program, to be shown starting next Sunday at 7 pm. on Channel 4, is the brainchild of young Cuban producer, Robert Alonso, who moved here from Venezuela less than two months ago.
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"This time of program (20-20, 60 Minutes, That's Incredible, Real People), has been enjoying a huge vogue in Venezuela and the U.S., and it seems that Puerto Rico is ripe for it", Alonso said in an interview at the TV studios. "The important thing about this kind of instructive program with a human dimension is that it be light, concise and short, with a lot of variety", he added.
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Although "A Fondo" is made locally with local issues, it is expected to be sold throught Latin America, he said. The program, which will boast the slogan "made in Puerto Rico for the Hispanic world", will concentrate on universal inssues, and will include some segments for local use only.
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The program on the first Sunday will include a reconstruction of the unsolved murder of Frank Antonsanti Pons, shot down as he approcached his car after an opera rehearsal at the Performing Arts Center. The fiml clip, made by the police, dramatizes whqat might have happened that nignht, and is expected to draw audience reaction which mighty help solve the crime.
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"This kind of thing was started by BBC based on unsolved crimes in Scothland yard, and it's been used successfully on the U.S. mainland", Alonso said.
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Also on the agenda for the first hour are an in-depth look at abortion, a study of the Hare Krishna phenomenon here, and several short segments of local peopole singing spontaneously for the roving mike.
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Future programs will include a humorous segment on language done with the help of Salvador Tio of the Puerto Rico Language Academy and reports on religious phenomena like the Mita congretation, the charismatic Catholic movement, and cosmic theology with controversial Catholic priest Salvador Freixedo.
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There will also be a section called "El Pueblo Entrevista", (People Interview). In one of the first, a factory worker will get an opportuniy to confront the governor. Alonso will take his cameras first to the factory and then to La Fortaleza to have Gov. Romero answer. Another section will give new talent - local rock singer Danny Elwood will be one of the first - a chance to be discovered.
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Also planned are two "real-life dramas"; one is about the entire Ponce family who are dying of Alport Syndrome, and the other about a man who was bitten 200 times by German shepherds.
"Once the program is on the aire, I'll get lots more ideas from viewers, and I'll have more than I can handle", says Alonso.
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Alonso was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba. At the age of 12 he came to San Juan with his family. Later the family moved to Miami and then to a variety of cities, including Spokane, and Caracas. Growing up, Alonso became interested in films, and studied cinematic production in Scotland and in Germany. His parents both work in Caracas now, and nis sister, María Conchita Alonso, is an actress who has worked on suct TV programs as "Night Riders", and "Fantasy Island". Alonso later established his own production company in Miami.
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The young impresario go the idea for "A Fondo" when he produced 24 programs based on the "That's Incredible" format for a Caracas television station. One day he met Pacheco (Joaquin Monserrat), who urged him to bring a similar progarm to San Juan. The idea appealed to him, he said, especially because Caracas was already sturated with similar formats.
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Despite the fact that Puerto Rico is a small island, Alonso believes it is good place to start producing a serious program for a wide Spanish-speaking audience.
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"I think Pueto Rico has an enormous potential for this kind of human interest program", he said. "And what it most needs is not a lot of money, but a lot of imagination."