Companeros De Lucha

Puerto Ricans Are Fighting for acces to their beaches
I spent about a year in Puerto Rico training for the Peace Corps at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras and at El Yunque Rain Forest. I was nor aware of the issue of beach access. I would have appreciated an analysis in more depth, but i support their campaign.

Great Debut from an Up-and-Coming Young Documentarian
"Companeros de Lucha" tells a little-known story of a resistance group of environmentalists that have spent close to a decade camped out on public beach land in order to prevent the Courtyard Marriott from unlawfully expanding. This is director Juan Carlos Davila's first documentary effort, which means that the finished film shows some rough edges. It also shows plenty of promise for the rest of Davila's career, especially in his ability to discover and expand upon little know character studies from the fringes of Puerto Rican society. The documentary has a fine structure, making it easily accessible to those who have no prior knowledge of the conflict between the "Playas Pal' Pueblo" resistance camp and the Marriott. The characters that are interviewed for this film are engaging enough, always informing while keeping the audience's attention.

Davila gives us a peek inside the lives of those that have dedicated over 7 years to living in the camp full time, and their methods...

Must see this uplifting film about public access to Puerto Rico's beaches
I saw this film in the Vieques International Film Festival. This is the story of citizens defending access to their public beaches in the face of the Marriot hotel who got a "sweet" deal from the Puerto Rican government. Protesters have been occupying the beach for 6 years to prevent the building of a hotel with a private beach. There is a legal case still to be decided. You will see interviews with the legendary Tito Kayak and other members of Friends of the Sea who have lead this and many other environmental justice struggles in Puerto Rico. This documentary is even more important in the face of climate change which soon could be claiming more of Puerto Rico's shore line. This film helps educate about this critical issue.

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