Thursday at Week Cinco: Thursday at Taller Puertorriqueño

Join PHLAFF on Thursday, June 26 at Taller Puertorriqueño (2600 N 5th St) for an evening dedicated to memory, artistic legacy, and cultural reclamation. From the fight for justice in Vieques to the spiritual vision of Afro-Caribbean art, and a powerful retrospective honoring a Puerto Rican screen icon, the night’s lineup speaks to resilience in many forms.

🕔 5:00 PM – Vieques: A Living Archive

Filmed over two decades, this documentary by Juan Carlos Rodríguez chronicles the long struggle of the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Through personal testimony, historical footage, and community narratives, the film explores the island’s devastating health crisis and the deep wounds left by decades of U.S. military occupation. A moving archive of pain, resistance, and survival, this is a must-see for those interested in environmental justice and Puerto Rican history.

🕖 7:00 PM – En el Umbral del Infinito // On the Threshold of Infinity

This meditative documentary delves into the world of Elí Barreto Talavera, a Puerto Rican artist whose geometric abstractions are guided by his Afro-Caribbean worldview and spiritual practice rooted in the Ifá Oracle. A deeply personal exploration of the intersection between art, cosmology, and nature, the film invites audiences to reflect on harmony, identity, and the power of ancestral connection.

🕢 7:30 PM – Retrospective: Aris Mejías – 15 Years of Short Films

Celebrate the prolific career of actress Aris Mejías with a retrospective curated by the Film Department of the Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico. This screening compiles highlights from 15 years of Mejías’s cinematic work—portraying complex, resonant characters across a variety of genres. The program will conclude with a special Q&A and analytical discussion on her contributions to Puerto Rican film and the emotional intelligence of her craft.

🎟️ Get your tickets now at Eventive.