SAN JUAN, PR – The International Film Festival Rotterdam will present the World Premiere of Ramón Rivera Moret’s film Todo parecía posible on January 31st, 2025 at 6:45 pm and will screen the related prize-winning films Las manos del hombre (Jack Delano, 1952), Un Gota de Agua (Delano, 1949) and Modesta (Benji Doniger, 1955) on February 1st, 2025 at 10:30 am CET. This program will be repeated on February 6th and 7th.
The films of 1950s Puerto Rico are reinterpreted in Ramón Rivera Moret’s documentary Todo parecía posible (Everything Seemed Possible).
In Todo parecía posible (Everything Seemed Possible), filmmaker Rivera Moret traces the desire to imagine Puerto Rico anew through the internationally award-winning films produced in rural communities during the 1950s and 1960s by the Film Unit of the Division of Community Education (DivEdCo), alongside stories from his own family.
“I first heard about DivEdCo films from my grandmother, Nené, who once told me that during the shooting of a DivEdCo film, she proudly hosted a number of the crew members in her home,” said Rivera Moret.
Rivera Moret reflects on Puerto Rico during a complex, utopian moment, highlighting the work of filmmakers Amílcar Tirado, Benjamín (Benji) Doniger, Jack Delano, and writer René Marqués, among others. These artists drew from the daily lives of rural communities to craft films that resonated with the hopes and aspirations of the time.
The 1950s marked a period of transformative change under Governor Luis Muñoz Marín. A former socialist, Muñoz Marín launched a campaign to promote a modern, democratic vision of the country, using cinema as a tool to inspire collective action. This mission was embraced by the young, idealistic members of DivEdCo’s Film Unit, whose work is revisited in Todo parecía posible. The film also weaves in personal stories from Rivera Moret’s family, who lived through this transformative era.
The film is grounded by Rivera Moret’s voice, complemented by the original soundtrack by Ileana Cabra and Ismael Cancel. Archival materials were provided by the Archivo
General of Puerto Rico, as overseen by director Hilda Ayala and film archivist Marisel Flores Patton, as well as by the Fundación Luis Muñoz Marín, through Julio Quirós Alcalá. Additional interview materials were contributed by Luis Rosario Albert and additional archival resources from the Library of Congress. The film also benefited from archival assistance by Mariam Colón Pizarro, who facilitated introductions to community organizers from DivEdCo, including octogenarian Paco Collet.
Interviews with Edgardo Rodríguez Juliá, Carlos Pabón, and others were invaluable to the film's development. Produced by Oren Rudavsky and conceived in association with Ramón Rivera Moret, the project also lists Tal Mandil as co-producer.
Eight internationally recognized DivEdCo films are currently being graded, restored, and subtitled by Gamma Ray Digital, under the auspices of Oren Rudavsky Productions. Three of these films won awards at international film festivals, among them Venice and Edinburgh.
Todo parecía posible was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. To learn more, visit the film’s website at everythingseemedpossible.com
The filmmakers and representatives are available for interview. For more information, please call 787-431-2078 or write to p.n.doreste@gmail.com or
dalinaperdomoalvarez@gmail.com.
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