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The above quote, meaning "We're still here", comes from a friendly diner that comes to the rescue of our lead character. "Trapped" in an Americanized bakery where they're charging him $30 for a pastrami sandwich and a "quesito", the diner swoops in to pay for him and then delivers that remark. Probably insignificant without proper context, but so powerful when you're from here. So if you're reading this, please indulge me...
More than 125 years ago, the US invaded Puerto Rico as part of the Spanish-American War. Taking the island as a war booty, the US has done the impossible to try to instill in us their language, culture, and way of life; from forcing us to study English in school from K to 12 or bombard us with American media, to suffocating any hint of sovereignty and independence (at one point, the Puerto Rican flag – along with any other demonstration of Puerto Rican heritage – was banned and criminalized).
I know the irony of writing this review in English, in a mostly American movie forum, but the truth is that for the most part, we've hold the line. We're still clinging to our language, our music, and our heritage, despite the efforts of some up there and some down here. Around 5 years ago, the Governor of the island was caught in a scandal when a chat with his inner circle was leaked. In it there was evidence of bad administration, political persecutions, but also of them belittling our people, those that they were supposed to serve.
Among the most infuriating quotes from that chat was one from a marketing executive where he said "I saw the future and it was wonderful; a Puerto Rico with no Puerto Ricans." Five years later, the only political casualty from that was the Governor himself, who was forced to resign, while the other dozen of political strategists, servicepersons, and executives that were part of that chat are still thriving around somewhere. In the meantime, convenient tax exemptions for foreigners open the door to gentrification while lots of Puerto Ricans are forced to look elsewhere for better opportunities. Just like that vision from "the future".
In this short, co-directed by Arí Maniel Cruz and Benito Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny), our lead character reminisces about the past and ways to hold on to that past, and the ways we were, while the Puerto Rico around him is changing. The situation presented in his way to the bakery and inside might be a bit exaggerated (but not that much), but there are always good people, millions of Puerto Ricans, that against all changes, come up front and say "we're still here..."
Grade:
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
(2025, Cruz & Martínez)
(2025, Cruz & Martínez)
"Seguimos aquí..."
The above quote, meaning "We're still here", comes from a friendly diner that comes to the rescue of our lead character. "Trapped" in an Americanized bakery where they're charging him $30 for a pastrami sandwich and a "quesito", the diner swoops in to pay for him and then delivers that remark. Probably insignificant without proper context, but so powerful when you're from here. So if you're reading this, please indulge me...
More than 125 years ago, the US invaded Puerto Rico as part of the Spanish-American War. Taking the island as a war booty, the US has done the impossible to try to instill in us their language, culture, and way of life; from forcing us to study English in school from K to 12 or bombard us with American media, to suffocating any hint of sovereignty and independence (at one point, the Puerto Rican flag – along with any other demonstration of Puerto Rican heritage – was banned and criminalized).
I know the irony of writing this review in English, in a mostly American movie forum, but the truth is that for the most part, we've hold the line. We're still clinging to our language, our music, and our heritage, despite the efforts of some up there and some down here. Around 5 years ago, the Governor of the island was caught in a scandal when a chat with his inner circle was leaked. In it there was evidence of bad administration, political persecutions, but also of them belittling our people, those that they were supposed to serve.
Among the most infuriating quotes from that chat was one from a marketing executive where he said "I saw the future and it was wonderful; a Puerto Rico with no Puerto Ricans." Five years later, the only political casualty from that was the Governor himself, who was forced to resign, while the other dozen of political strategists, servicepersons, and executives that were part of that chat are still thriving around somewhere. In the meantime, convenient tax exemptions for foreigners open the door to gentrification while lots of Puerto Ricans are forced to look elsewhere for better opportunities. Just like that vision from "the future".
In this short, co-directed by Arí Maniel Cruz and Benito Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny), our lead character reminisces about the past and ways to hold on to that past, and the ways we were, while the Puerto Rico around him is changing. The situation presented in his way to the bakery and inside might be a bit exaggerated (but not that much), but there are always good people, millions of Puerto Ricans, that against all changes, come up front and say "we're still here..."
Grade: