Simulacros de Liberación – Juan C. Dávila in Person!
Puerto Rico | 2021 | DCP | 121 min. | Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Juan C. Dávila
Puerto Rico | 2021 | DCP | 121 min. | Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Juan C. Dávila
Simulacros de liberación (or “Drills of Liberation“) delves into the untold saga of Puerto Rico’s protest surge from 2016 to 2019, culminating in Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation. When the US Congress installs a seven-member board to manage Puerto Rico’s finances in 2016, the island’s deep economic crisis and insurmountable debt to Wall Street bondholders are laid bare. As the Fiscal Control Board implements austerity measures, slashing public services and pushing privatization, a fierce anti-austerity movement erupts, with impassioned youth leading the charge to erase the nation’s debt and safeguard its education system. At the forefront of this battle is “Jornada: Se Acabaron Las Promesas,” orchestrating protests and direct actions to champion social justice causes. As Hurricane María exposes the country’s heightened vulnerability, Jornada’s activists, alongside others, rally to establish community hubs to combat post-storm hunger. Through resilience, resistance, and a vision for a liberated future, Puerto Rico’s younger generations wage a bold struggle against US colonialism, depicted vividly in this gripping documentary. Director Juan C. Dávila will be present for a post-screening discussion. Presented with the support of Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies (LACIS) at UW-Madison. Special Thanks to Aurora Santiago Ortiz, Sarah McKinnon.
