ENTERTAINING, INSPIRING, AND INFORMING  THROUGH FILM

 On Monday, September 25th, I had the great pleasure of presenting my film, “Boricua Soy Yo” at a free public screening at Canisius University. The Western New York Peace Center hosted this event in conjunction with the Latin American Solidarity Committee of Western New York as part of their monthly “Coffee House” events.

 It was a very humbling experience as I sat with folks and observed the audience, watching them watch my film. Regardless of how many times I’ve been part of a screening of one of my documentary projects, the nervous, uneasy feeling one gets as a crowd is watching something you poured eighteen months of one’s life on never gets easy. Although the audience that joined me on this night was not as large as the three-hundred-person audience that first joined me when I first screened it at the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando in April of 2022 for the UCF Celebrate the Arts screening, the fact that this was being screened in my own hometown of Buffalo, NY made it all the more special.

 Documentaries that explore cultural identity and history can be powerful tools for education and awareness. Although they can be an acquired taste, the feedback I received from some of the audience members as the film ended was reassuring. Hearing a gentleman whom I assumed to be in his seventies, mention to me that he had learned quite a few new things regarding the history of Puerto Rico and its relationship to the US was quite the compliment.

 After the credits rolled, I was invited to field a few questions from the audience during a short Q&A session, and it was beautiful to engage with the audience in this way. I’ll admit I was a little nervous, not knowing what type of questions would be directed my way. Still, I believe my interactions during the question-and-answer sessions with the audience helped enhance their understanding of the film and provided more profound insights into some of the subject matter covered in “Boricua Soy Yo.”

 The fact that many attendees were unaware of some of the subjects covered in the documentary showed the importance of such screenings and is a perfect example of why I chose to become a documentary filmmaker. Once upon a time, I wanted to be an educator and entered a Social Studies Education program at Buffalo State. After some time doing student teaching, I knew my place wasn’t in the classroom; instead, using my background and a previous degree in Media Arts/Filmmaking, I pursued a second bachelor’s in history, envisioning a melding of both backgrounds to not only educate but entertain, inspire, and inform.

Sitting in the Science Hall that night at Canisius University, knowing that my little film played a role in expanding people’s knowledge and fostering cultural appreciation of the mainland “Boricua” experience, was a testament to what I envisioned so many years ago as I started my journey as a filmmaker and educator.

 I’d like to thank everyone who showed up to the screening event, particularly Alberto Cappas, Solomon Joseph, both of this very publication as well as Maritza Vega and many others. Additionally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say thank you to the WNY Peace Center and the Latin American Solidarity Committee of Western New York for organizing and hosting this event.

 Public screenings like this can contribute to promoting cultural understanding and unity within a community and I was so proud to have been invited to showcase my film.