In the minds of most people, heroes are those fascinatingly strong and fearless humans who are so much beyond the simple human vulnerabilities that they become supernatural. These people are viewed, often after their deaths when their deeds have become known to all, as saviours and given the status of neo-gods. What people rarely accept is the fact that heroes are as delicate, fallible, and human as any other person.

Brevity does not exist in the absence of fear nor does a person who commits a heroic deed give up everything else that all common folk hold dear. The story of the Mirabal sisters gives weight to this fact. Born in war-torn Dominican Republic, the Mirabal sisters dreamt of the same things as the girls they played with as kids. These women wished for husbands who would love them, children they would be proud of, work that gave them joy, and the pleasure of their family’s company. They did not give up any of these things, but fought for their freedom and for the greater good despite all of this.

Pre-1960, the citizens of the Dominican Republic lived in fear under the dictatorship of Rafael “El Jefe” Trujillo. The decision of Maria Teresa Mirabal and Patria Mirabal, under the leadership of their sister Minerva Mirabal, to join the opposition forces changed everything for the Dominicans for it eventually led to the assasination of Trujillo. After suffering innumerous humiliations and being imprisoned for their efforts, The Butterflies (as the Mirabal sisters were known) were murdered by Trujillo’s men. The day of their death, the 25th of November, is marked as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. For Dominicans, it is the day of The Butterflies, a poignant reminder that the most delicate of us can fight against the most brutal, and still win.

In the Time of the Butterflies, starring Salma Hayek, takes a look at the efforts of the Mirabal sisters and is based upon the novel by Julia Alvarez. Though the movie lays more importance upon Minerva when compared to her sisters and downplays several important occurrences in the sisters’ lives, it is a close-enough retelling of the lives of the Butterflies. Watch this movie to remind yourself that no battle is too tough to fight. And if you choose to fight, well, then the Butterflies are still alive.

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Via: IMDB