Best Puerto Rican documentary movies

La promesa (2014)

A journey through customs and traditions such as the promise of the Kings, Virgen del Carmen festival, the rosaries, Christmas' parrandas, and the voices of people retelling their memories of history.

Filiberto (2017)

The deeds of a professional musician who abandons his trumpet and family to live the clandestine life of an armed revolutionary for Puerto Rican independence.

La bravura del retorno a la tierra (2016)

The documentary features the diversity of backgrounds, philosophies, and motivations of a representative sample of the new strain of agroecological farmers in Puerto Rico.

De Puerto Rico para el mundo (2016)

On the Puerto Rican diaspora, which includes renowned artists who have converted New York, Florida, Chicago, Hawaii, Santa Cruz and Dominican Republic into their second home, but with Puerto Rico in their hearts.

Héctor el Father: Conocerás la verdad (2018)

This autobiography of Hector Delgado runs from his childhood to become one of the greatest exponents of the urban genre, but the results of that life did not please him and led him to try to take his life .After being victim of a firefight at a service station in Aguada, a city hall in Puerto Rico, he stopped earning at least two hundred American dollars for presentation and being "devout of Jesus"

PsiQuis: Un Giro Decolonial (2023)

PsiQuis: Un Giro Decolonial is a documentary that presents and discusses the psychological impact that colonialism has had on the Puerto Rican people. The director analyzes the traumas generated in Puerto Rican society by that colonial experience.

El apagón - Aquí vive gente (2022)

Bad Bunny’s 23 minute long music video for his song 'El Apagón', from his fourth studio album 'Un Verano Sin Tí'. 'El Apagón' is a song criticizing the governments of Puerto Rico and of the United States, and tells the story of the daily life and suffering of Puerto Ricans under those corrupt governments, their colonial status, and the island's atrocious-on-purpose power grid. The music video transitions into a documentary by independent Puerto Rican journalist Bianca Graulau, where she reports on the recent protests, the displacement of Puerto Ricans from their homes and from the island, the millionaires that are happily blocking access to public beaches, the beneficiaries of the controversial Act 22 / Act 60 "law" that has turned the island into a tax haven for the rich and much more.

Stewards of the Land (2022)

The daily experiences of three land cultivators in Puerto Rico.

El Antillano (2014)

A documentary about the iconic Puerto Rican revolutionary Ramón Emeterio Betances and his effect and validity in Puerto Rican 21st century.

Nuyorican Básquet (2017)

The story of the basketball players that represented Puerto Rico at the San Juan's 1979 Pan Am Games.

Oso Blanco (2009)

This gritty documentary takes you inside the legendary Oso Blanco, the most feared prison of Puerto Rico and one of the most notorious in the Caribbean. It is the birthplace of two of the most dangerous Latino gangs: "Ñeta" and "Los 27" (aka "Los Insectos") and the scene of hundreds of murders.

Human Trafficking (2013)

Human trafficking is the second most lucrative crime in the world. This terrible crime is an international phenomenon. Based on the testimony of survivors, social researchers, volunteers and employees of various organizations, we are able to present the dimensions of human trafficking in Puerto Rico. A phenomenon that for many it is still difficult to recognize.

Deep Water Sway (2016)

Contemplates the contribution of Puerto Rican artist Cossette Zeno.

La ciudad perdida (2005)

A journey through the capital of Puerto Rico which documents and reflects on its transformation.

La bruja (1996)

First documentary about surfing in Puerto Rico. It is a journey through the most notorious 'spots' from the North to the West of the island. Includes interviews with surfing pioneers.

Emergencia: Un documental sobre Superaquello (2016)

Súperaquello is an alternative rock band that marked a milestone in the independent music scene in Puerto Rico. Its music peers augured its commercial success and its loyal fans gave it cult status. Emergencia (Emergency) is an intimate look at the interactions between Eduardo Alegría, Francis Pérez, Patricia Dávila, Jorge Castro, and Pablo Santiago and how their personalities created the band's greatness -- which in turn led to its dissolution.

Landfall (2020)

Hurricane María abated, the news crews packed up and left Puerto Rico, and the interest of the international community turned elsewhere. What happened next?

The Great Fallacy (2013)

A documentary which explores the current social, political, and economic situation of Puerto Rico and proposed solutions that forced change within the people, not the government.

Melting Snow (2021)

Two tons of snow—flown from New Hampshire to Puerto Rico in 1952 in order to “gift” Puerto Ricans a “white Christmas”—become a metaphor for the colonialist paternalism of America’s relationship to Puerto Rico.

Fernandito Álvarez y su Trío Vegabajeño (1965)

Documentary about some of the most popular songs of this famous Puerto Rican musical trio.

El santero (1956)

Zoilo Cajigas y Sotomayor is a carver of wooden models of saints. Don Zoilo is one of Puerto Rico's best-known artisans and was 96 years old at the time of the filming. The film shows the elaborate process behind his craftsmanship.

The Last Colony (2015)

A close look at Puerto Rico's unique relationship with the United States.

1950: La insurrección Nacionalista (2017)

Five Puerto Ricans, who participated in the Nationalist Insurrection of 1950 to gain Puerto Rico's independence from the United States, reflect in their old age on the history of this forgotten struggle and the consequences it had on their lives to defy the world's most powerful government.

Culebra: el comienzo (1971)

Culebra, an island off Puerto Rico, is used by the USA as a target area for bombing practice with live ammunition. The documentary depicts the struggles of the people of Culebra as they take increasingly militant action to put a stop to the target practice bombing of the area.

Héctor Lavoe: Historias Verdaderas (2001)

One-Way Ticket (1983)

Documentary about how the arrival of the railway industry impacted Puerto Rican culture economically, socially, and humanistically during the first half of the 20th century. It includes photos by Jack Delano, among others, and scenarios to reconstruct the experience of what could have been the last trip made by train from San Juan to Ponce in 1953.

La Comay: Aparente y Alegadamente (2014)

The documentary examines two phenomena in the history of Puerto Rican television: the "Súper Xclusivo" program, which remained number one in the ratings for 14 years, and the abrupt manner it went off the air, which also represents an unprecedented event on Puerto Rican television.

Cocolos y Rockeros (1992)

This documentary examines the musical tastes of Puerto Rico's youth. The terms "cocolos" refers to those who prefer salsa music, and "rockeros" to those who prefer rock music. Through interviews and an array of musical settings, the film explores the young people's feelings in a humorist yet serious manner, bringing to the forefront issues of biases and national identity inherent in this innocent yet very powerful form of social entertainment.

After the Boats Left (2022)

New documentary by Mexican filmmaker Sonia Fritz about a forgotten town in Puerto Rico.

Myrna Báez: Los espejos del silencio (1989)

The life and work of Puerto Rican painter and print-maker Myrna Báez are explored in this documentary.