About this Event
Films are one of the many ways we experience the stories that connect us. Join filmmakers Lorraine Jones and Cristian Carretero (Esta isla, 2025) and Kristian Mercado (Mataron a Pedro, 2026), along with CENTRO Media Manager, Andrès Arias, in conversation as they explore the ways in which their films are a reflection of the Puerto Rican experience. Together, we will learn about the process of making their films, what it looks like to research, write and photograph personal and poignant portraits of the Puerto Rican experience that dives deep into the complexities of identity, resilience and colonial legacy.
Join us before the conversation starting at 3:00 PM for a screening of both films!
This event is produced in collaboration with the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival
Agenda
🕑: 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Screening of "Esta Isla" film
Info:
Bebo, a teenager from a coastal Puerto Rican town, lives with his brother in a public housing complex. They fish for a living, but growing desperation drives them to illegal dealings that promise easy money. When a job goes wrong and blood is spilled, Bebo flees with Lola, a wealthy girl seeking to escape her troubled reality. As they navigate the labyrinthine mountains, they encounter remnants of a fading way of life, contrasting with the violence that follows them. As hitmen close in, Bebo must confront his choices and decide if redemption is possible, or if the sea will be their final escape.
A deeply personal and poignant portrait of the Puerto Rican experience that dives deep into the complexities of identity, resilience and colonial legacy. With grounded performances and striking cinematography, Lorraine Jones and Cristian Carretero’s confident first feature is a potent exploration of wayward youth seeking a better future for themselves amidst their precarious present.
🕑: 05:45 PM - 06:00 PM
Screening of "Mataron a Pedro" film
Info: Puerto Rico, 1934. The sugar cane workers of the island have had enough. Underpaid, overworked, and governed by a colonial administration that answers to Wall Street before it answers to them, they turn to the one man who has always spoken their truth: Pedro Albizu Campos, president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.
🕑: 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Conversation between filmmakers of "Esta Isla" and "Mataron a Pedro"
Info: Join filmmakers Lorraine Jones and Cristian Carretero (Esta isla, 2025) and Kristian Mercado (Mataron a Pedro, 2026), along with CENTRO Media Manager, Andrès Arias, in conversation as they explore the ways in which their films are a reflection of the Puerto Rican experience.
Event venue & nearby stays
CENTRO in El Barrio, 2180 3rd Ave, New York, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.