Code Name Butterflies was written, directed, and produced by Chilean filmmaker Cecilia Domeyko. The documentary tells the story of the Mirabal sisters who in the 1950s fought against the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. The women were assassinated by the tyrant, but their death was the spark that led to the assassination of Trujillo.
The documentary includes exclusive interviews with members of the Mirabal family, including fourth surviving sister Dedé Mirabal, and with over 40 victims of torture and repression during that period. The documentary includes historical recreations of key scenes in the story, shot in Havana with Cuban dramatic talent.
Code Name: Butterflies premiered at the House of the Americas, at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in 2009, in Washington DC; the House of Representatives of the Dominican Republic, and several cities in the DR.
Since then it has been exhibited across the US and other countries by universities, schools, colleges and libraries especially on November 25, the Day of Non-Violence against Women in commemoration of the day of the assassination of the three sisters.
The documentary has won top awards, and has been on the Official List at 15 international film festivals. Cecilia has been invited as a VIP speaker for exhibits of the film in the United States, Mexico, Panama, Hungary, Spain and other countries around the world. The English version of the film is narrated by Cecilia Domeyko, and the Spanish version is narrated by film star Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace).
Cecilia Domeyko is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker who has worked as an on-camera reporter and producer at television networks such as Univisión, Channel 13 of Chile, 24-Horas of Colombia, EWTN-TV, and previously for USIA, the US government's television department (now incorporated into the State Department's television service), covering breaking news and feature stories for national and international broadcast.
Through her production company, Accent Media she has traveled the world over directing and producing documentaries for international and corporate clients, as well as independent documentaries on the rights of women and minorities.
Her documentary Cuba Mia, which follows the daily life of the 10 musicians of the Camerata Romeu orchestra in Havana, Cuba aired for 7 years on PBS stations across the United States, on ABC-Australia, and on networks in Europe, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
She has won dozens of awards for her work, including 9 Cine Golden Eagles, and 9 Gabriel Awards in the United States. Internationally, she was the recipient of a Gold Medal at the Hamburg International Film Festival, and won First Place at the In-Edit Musical Film Festival in Santiago, Chile (for Cuba Mia: Portrait of an All Woman Orchestra).
In 2011, Cecilia received the prestigious "Women of Vision" award for excellence in the fields of journalism and film that further the cause of humanity. The award is given annually by the organization Women in Film and Video (WIFV).
In 2017 Cecilia turned to fiction writing and published Sacrificio en la Frontera, a novel that delves into the issue of child trafficking through a love and adventure story. The English translation of the novel, Sacrifice on the Border will be out in 2022. Both books can be purchased on Amazon.com.