Cinema Puerto Rico: una antropología visual(2014)

Una identidad en absurdo Vol. 1(es)

Guillermo Gómez Álvarez explores the identity politics of Puerto Rico via archival footage from various sources that clash with nine original songs from local independent musicians and a thematic analysis from a psychoanalyst and a historian. From the juxtaposition the absurd becomes coherent and the coherent becomes absurd as Puerto Rican identity is defined and rejected almost simultaneously.

Your Day Is My Night(zh)

Immigrant residents of a “shift-bed” apartment in the heart of New York City’s Chinatown share their stories of personal and political upheaval. As the bed transforms into a stage, the film reveals the collective history of the Chinese in the United States through conversations, autobiographical monologues, and theatrical movement pieces. Shot in the kitchens, bedrooms, wedding halls, cafés, and mahjong parlors of Chinatown, this provocative hybrid documentary addresses issues of privacy, intimacy, and urban life.

Islas entretejidas: Puerto Rico y Córcega(es)

The cultural and architectural phenomenon of the Corsican in Puerto Rico, and the influence of the Corsican immigration in this territory.

After Maria(es)

Strong Puerto Rican women forced to flee the island after Hurricane Maria have bonded like family in a FEMA hotel in the Bronx. They seek stability in their new life as forces try to pull them apart.

Luz in Latin America(es)

The inspiring account on international bodyboarding star Luz 'Loly' Grande - a young woman on a personal mission to make bodyboarding a means to improve the lives of disadvantaged children in Puerto Rico, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru.

La operación(es)

Documentary on the mass sterilization of Puerto Rican women during the 1950s and '60s.

Un diario amable(en)

"A Friendly Newspaper" vindicated journalists in a very important sense. For the first time, from a place as influential as television, the business power that exists behind the press was summoned and held responsible for its decline.

Desigualdad y Pobreza(es)

Melting Snow(en)

Two tons of snow—flown from New Hampshire to Puerto Rico in 1952 in order to “gift” Puerto Ricans a “white Christmas”—become a metaphor for the colonialist paternalism of America’s relationship to Puerto Rico.

El apagón: Aquí vive gente(es)

“El Apagón: Aquí Vive Gente” is a documentary directed by Bad Bunny and Blanca Graulau. This 23-minute film explores the socio-economic challenges in Puerto Rico, focusing on the effects of power outages and gentrification driven by the real estate and energy sectors. Through visuals and personal stories, the documentary highlights the experiences of Puerto Rican communities facing these issues.

The Last Colony(es)

A close look at Puerto Rico's unique relationship with the United States.

The Last American Colony(en)

Puerto Rico, the last relic of colonization in the western hemisphere, has been a dependent territory of the USA since 1917. Los Macheteros and one of its leaders Juan Segarra have been fighting for its full independence for many decades.

San Juan, más allá de las murallas(es)

Explore the 500-year history of the city of San Juan, from the move from Caparra to the different invasions during these centuries. It also looks at how different situations and people were key to what is now the capital of Puerto Rico. This documentary presents, through the recreation of key situations, archival material, and accounts of historians and researchers, decisive moments that influenced what is now the capital.

Landfall(es)

Hurricane María abated, the news crews packed up and left Puerto Rico, and the interest of the international community turned elsewhere. What happened next?

Cantares(es)

Several Puerto Rican Christmas tunes are performed on screen by Juan Rivera, Juan Ortiz Vargas, José Ramón Morales, and the Morgado Brothers.

Nasciturus(es)

At least we're alive. Humberto.

Las carpetas(es)

How fair is it for the government to control its citizens? Four Puerto Ricans confront their past when they open their “files”, the records obtained of the illegal surveillance and persecution that the Puerto Rican government held against citizens and organizations that disagreed with the establishment. Through their daily life, they will tell us their stories, experiences and intimate feelings of the persecution they suffered. Taking their past as an example, we will confront the present.

El puente(es)

The efforts of a community to build a bridge which would allow their children to go school during the rainy season.

Near Earth Asteroids: Dr. Anne Virkki(en)

At Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, “Near Earth Asteroids: Dr. Anne Virkki” tells the story of Research Scientist Anne Virkki and her ongoing studies on asteroids and their threat to humanity. Originally from Finland, Anne Virkki shares her experience in education as well as her studies on asteroids, including her work hunting and tracking asteroids headed for Earth.

Solar Weather: Alessandra Pacini(en)

Alessandra Pacini, solar physicist and mother of two, has dedicated her life to researching our sun and its relation to the rest of our solar system. Traveling across the globe with her family, from Finland to Puerto Rico, Alessandra is on a mission to discover the great mysteries of our solar system.