Members of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community recently took part in a special screening of a new short film based on the life of Pedro Albizu Campos. In collaboration with the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, the short film “Mataron A Pedro” was shown at CineCity Studios in Chicago earlier this month. The film follows a brief period in the life of the historic activist and leader in the labor and Puerto Rican independence movements. Starring Ismael Cruz Córdova as the titular Don Pedro and Juana Burga as his wife Laura Meneses del Carpio, the film contrasts Campos’ personal life at home with his work in various movements in Puerto Rico. While only 15 minutes in length, the short film brings Puerto Rican history to the big screen, shining a light on the often-untold history of Campos, who was the first Puerto Rican to ever graduate from Harvard University and a staunch critic of the colonial relationship between the archipelago and the United States.
The film depicts iconic scenes from his life, including a march he led in Viejo San Juan where he fought for an independent Puerto Rico. It does not shy away from the brutality that Campos endured while imprisoned after the 1950 rally, depicting radiation experiments conducted on him, causing burns across his body.
While the film is just a drop in the deep, rich history of this beloved and sometimes controversial figure, the crew hopes this could lead to something bigger. Cruz Córdova, who played Campus, said much of the film remains relevant today due in large part due to Puerto Rico’s position as a modern colony of the United States. “I want them to direct them to curiosity, you know, because we cannot, like, go over everything in 16 minutes, but at least to start that curiosity for people to understand the greatness of who we are, and the equally great, immense sacrifice that Pedro, but a lot before him, a lot with him, and a lot after him, are still willing to take,” he said.
Cruz Córdova added in Spanish, “la lucha continua,” which means the fight continues.
