The prismatic “Landfall” and “Stateless” upend typical narratives about the triumph of the human spirit and show us the complexities at play.
It is nighttime in Puerto Rico. A dembow beat, the rhythmic foundation of reggaeton, throbs, slicing into the thick air. A man glistens with sweat, an amber light bathing the droplets on his shoulders as he grinds gently against his dance partner. The crowd hollers as a beloved reggaeton anthem echoes in the distance.
In the lilt of the island’s familiar accent, a voice has spoken: “I don’t want to spend my whole life fighting.”
This scene arrives near the end of Cecilia Aldarondo’s documentary “Landfall.” It is a moment of everyday pleasure, but one that also contends with the psychic weight of political struggle. It captures what it means to still be coming to terms with Hurricane Maria and the 2019 uprising against government corruption. It is an image of warmth and intimacy, but one that refuses to put aside the
Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 Hurricane, Makes Landfall in Caribbean - William P J Lynch Jr com
wpjljr.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wpjljr.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
La Borinqueña: A Puerto Rican Superhero for Our Time
publishersweekly.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from publishersweekly.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
On the surface,
Landfall is a film about the life of Puerto Rican people post-Hurricane Maria. But this latest documentary from director Cecilia Aldarondo, which premieres today, goes beyond what’s seen in the mainstream media following the tragic natural disaster that struck the island in 2017. Instead of the usual narratives, Aldarondo is spotlighting the strength and resilience in the Puerto Rican people, in
her people.
Aldarondo spoke with Remezcla over the weekend from Puerto Rico, where she is presenting the film. “Puerto Ricans in the mainstream media were being painted as victims. There was this image, especially because people were focused on Donald Trump throwing paper towels, of the Puerto Rican people with their hands outstretched waiting for aid,” Aldarondo tells us in a Zoom interview. “What wasn’t being relayed in the press is that: In reality, the Puerto Rican people, through the total abandonment of the federal and local governments, in this mome