Entre Puerto Rico y Richmond: Women in Resistance Shall Not Be Moved

The dance film “Entre Puerto Rico y Richmond: Women in Resistance Shall Not Be Moved” links interrelated histories of racism and colonial capitalism in Virginia and Puerto Rico. Filmed in a former American Tobacco Company warehouse, the film honors the spirit of resistance and liberation of Black female tobacco stemmers who worked in segregated facilities in Richmond and invokes Puerto Rican tobacco factory readers and radical activists Dominga de La Cruz Becerril (1909-1981) and Luisa Capetillo (1879-1922), as inspiration for the present. The film is bilingual (Spanish and English) with subtitles and combines biography, poetry, and ritual, with the energy of live performance.

“Entre Puerto Rico y Richmond: Women in Resistance Shall Not Be Moved” was directed by Alicia Díaz and co-created with dramaturg Patricia Herrera, dance artists Christine Wyatt and Christina Leoni-Osion, interdisciplinary artist Luis Vasquez La Roche, percussionist Héctor “Coco” Barez, actor / singer Yaraní del Valle, and produced and edited by David Riley. Videography by Departure Point Films. Color and Sound correction by Digital Fruit Snax.

Commissioned for the 2020 exhibit “Commonwealth” at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU (ICA@VCU) in collaboration with Philadelphia Contemporary and Beta Local (Puerto Rico). On view Sept. 12-Jan. 17, 2020. Curators Stephanie Smith and Noah Simblist. Additional support from The University of Richmond.

Year
2020

Runtime (min)
17:21

AWARDS AND AWARD NOMINATIONS
Logcinema Art Films Festival, December 2020
Best Experimental Film

Afrikana Independent Film Festival, September 2020
Best of the Fest

Indie Short Fest, Los Angeles International Film Festival, December 2020
Award Nomination, Best Experimental Short
Award Nomination, Best Screendance Short
Award Nomination, Best Production Design

Alternative Film Festival, December 2020
Semi-Finalist

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

Official Selection, Philadelphia Latino Film Festival , 2021
Official Selection, Utah Dance Film Festival, May 2021
Official Selection, DANCINEMA, 2021
Official Selection, Film Only Festival, March 2021
Official Selection, Experimental Dance and Music Festival, March 2021
Official Selection, WRPN Women’s International Film Festival, April 2021
Official Selection, Golden Short Films Festival, May 2021
Official Selection, Afrikana Independent Film Festival, Sept 2020

FILM SCREENINGS
Commonwealth Exhibit, ICA @ VCU, Sept 12, 2020-Jan. 31, 2021.
5th Annual Afrikana Independent Film Festival, Sept. 17, 2020.
Afrikana “Best of the Fest” @ Tom Tom Festival: Cities Rising Summit, Oct. 27, 2020
Film Only Festival, March 13, 2021
Experimental Dance and Music Festival, March 27, 2021
Utah Dance Film Festival, May 28-29, 2021
Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, May-June 2021