In the documentary film San Juan: Beyond the Walls (San Juan, más allá de las murallas), Puerto Rican director Mariem Pérez Riera (Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It) explores the 500-year history of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“This film deserves to be seen by children, young people, adults, the whole family,” Riera said. “It deserves to provoke us to continue learning about our history, to provoke us to appreciate the place we inhabit.”
Through reenactments of historical events, the presentation of archival material, and interviews with historians and researchers, Riera hopes to take viewers through some of Puerto Rico’s most impactful moments over the last few centuries and tell the capital city’s full story.
Narrating the documentary is actor Ismael Cruz Córdova (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), who recently shared a new preview of the film online. “Puerto Rico! Let’s go to the cinema to discover more of our hidden history!” Córdova wrote. “This movie…was made with a lot of love and dedication. See you there!”
In the trailer, historians and researchers discuss how history books should be rewritten to tell the true story of the discovery of America. “These school curricula must be reviewed from the administrative point of view and certainly in terms of content,” one historian says.
During the documentary, Córdova is seen going on a tour to some of the most important places in the capital during the Spanish-American War. “If it wasn’t for that, I think the story would be different,” Córdova says in the preview.
San Juan: Beyond the Walls premieres at theaters in Puerto Rico on October 6, 2022.
