One of the most successful and important independent films currently in theaters has a connection to Boca’s own Lynn University. “Patria y Vida,” which charts the unexpected success—and subsequent official censorship—of the Cuban protest rap song of the same name, made history last weekend as the most profitable Hispanic release in U.S. theaters on a pre-screen basis, finishing second in that metric only to the box-office juggernaut that is “Superman.” Cesar Santalo, an artist, animator, educator and dean of Lynn’s College of Communication and Design, created the powerful “Patria y Vida” mural that appears throughout the movie, depicting a protestor’s raised fist puncturing a landscape of street protests and newspaper headlines.
It’s an apt collage for the movie’s powerful content. “Patria y Vida,” which translates to “Homeland and Life,” charts the tumultuous path of the song and its creators, Cuban rappers Yotuel Romero, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, El Funky and Gente de Zona. “Patria y Vida” became a galvanizing anthem for Cuba’s antigovernment protests in 2021. Embraced as national treasures globally—the rappers met President Biden, earned two Latin Grammy Awards and received a shout-out at the 2020 Olympics—the song also symbolized the oppression of their native country’s communist government, which instituted a power blackout across the island on the day of its release. A remarkable document of the ability for a single song to challenge authoritarianism, the nonfiction film is currently only playing in Florida, with local show times at AMC Pompano Beach, AMC Sunrise 8 and AMC Aventura 24, with plans in the work to expand to other regions of the country soon.
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