It is a film to laugh, to cry and above all to be inspired. That it is possible to change, that it is possible to realize dreams and achieve them in the midst of the worst emotional storms.

That is the main purpose of the documentary Neisi, the power of a dreamwhich captures the fulfilled dreams, ambitions and personal trials behind the Olympic champion Neisi Dajomesthe first Ecuadorian woman to win a gold medal for the country.

Behind this production, which will premiere in cinemas in Ecuador on Saturday, November 9, are the filmmakers Daniel Yépez Brito, director of the film, and Irina López Eldredge, producer. Their biggest goal with this title is that this story that moved them so much can move the rest of Ecuadorians. This is evident from this interview.

Medalist Neisi Dajomes opens her heart in documentary: With the loss of my brother and my mother I could have said ‘I don’t care anymore’, but I continued

Poster for the documentary about Neisi Dajomes. Photo: courtesy

Irina López Eldredge, producer of the film ‘Neisi, the power of a dream’

How did this film project come about?

The project was born in 2015, when we made a documentary series for television, with eight chapters, in which we were looking for eight female characters who made their dreams come true; That was the premise of the series. We were looking for a woman in education, a woman in science, a woman in sports, that was about Neisi.

What motivated you to film Neisi’s life?

Neisi caught our attention when she fainted and convulsed in Toronto 2015, during the Pan American Games, and after five minutes she recovered to win the most important medal of her career. That way of being, that resilience, that internal strength, because it’s not just physical, caught our attention to do the episode of the documentary series with her.

When we met her, we met a young girl, with a lot of dreams, with a lot of desire to do things, with a super clear mentality in her goal, with a lot of charisma, but also with a very great spiritual power, with mental strength and discipline, perseverance. We really liked that and after we made that series for television, Daniel (Yépez, the film’s director) and I said, “Here’s a character, there’s a story.” Neisi, the first thing he told us when we met him was, “I want to win an Olympic medal.” His biggest dream was to win an Olympic gold medal.

We decided to follow him. Here’s a story, there’s a purpose, there’s a time. It could be in 2016, even though it was still very young, or 2020 (Tokyo Olympics) or 2024. We were willing to wait until Paris (the next Olympics).

Neisi Dajomes in a still from the documentary “Neisi, the power of a dream”. Photo: courtesy
Was it worth the wait?

Yes of course. It has been a character development that has had many twists and turns, with the losses she has suffered and the obstacles in the federation issue. In the end he achieved the great triumph, which is a joy for us, first of all as filmmakers, because we have the best possible ending for our film, and also as Ecuadorians, and for me as a woman to see him succeed like this is also been a highlight. Nice.

It is a very powerful message, very valuable and very patriotic.

Yes, Neisi also experienced very difficult situations in her life, but she managed to overcome them thanks to the fact that she had a purpose and purpose; for if she had not set her sights on reaching the Olympic Games, or on the training, or on the perseverance and discipline of training, perhaps with the great pain of losing her brother and her mother, she might drifted to the other side. We will never know.

Neisi Dajomes as he won the Olympic gold medal in weightlifting for Ecuador at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: courtesy

Daniel Yépez, director of the film ‘Neisi, the power of a dream’

How did you realize that Neisi could get the Olympic medal for his happy ending?

Two things prompted us to make this documentary and follow it for eight years. The first was when we saw a video of the 2015 competition in Toronto, where she passed out and started convulsing, but still got up and tried again, and not only did she succeed, but she won the top medal. up to that point. We said to Irina: “Well, here’s a lot more; “This girl is exceptional.”

The second thing is that from the first day we met her, she told us, “My biggest goal in this sport is to win an Olympic medal.” So she was very clear about where she wanted to go and showed that discipline, that perseverance, that dream, that unbreakable faith. We saw a story that went beyond a report we were working on and also that there were a lot of things going on. That is, since his parents were Colombian refugees; Because when we met her, she was already living with her coaches because her mother did not have the resources to support her; conditions in the gym. There were a lot of things that we thought would develop throughout the story, and also because the people who knew her, like her coaches at the time, knew that she could go very far.

We never imagined a gold medal, but we did imagine her as an unusual girl. She sparked that belief and inspiration in us, and we also wanted audiences to see this documentary so they could be inspired as she inspired us.

Neisi Dajomes, an Olympic medalist in weightlifting, during her training at the gymnasium of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, in Cumbayá. Alfredo Cárdenas/ EL UNIVERSO. Photo: Alfredo Cárdenas
Why should people go see this movie right now?

We decided to launch it at this moment that the country is going through because it is a necessary story. It is a story of reconciliation and inspiration. Neisi is a meeting point, everyone loves her, and also because she always invites us to dream and invites us to say that we can achieve our goals.

Neisi says: “As long as there is a 1% chance of achieving something, I will hold on to that 1% and give it my all, despite everything going through my mind.” She is an example to say that you can also change their reality and fulfill their hopes and dreams.