Mi Puerto Rico, El Café

Director: Pedro de León

Producers: Manolo López

Country of Production: Puerto Rico

Date of Completion: 2023

Duration of Film: 14 Minutes

“Mi Puerto Rico, El Café” is a short documentary exploring the resilience of Puerto Rico's coffee industry post-Hurricane Fiona. It highlights three stories of individuals and groups determined to sustain and rejuvenate their businesses amid adversity. The film first takes us to Hacienda San Pedro, a local farm that supplies coffee to its own cafes, showcasing self-sufficiency in a challenging environment. It then introduces Café El Coquí, a venerable café with a 70-year legacy, navigating the difficulties of government-dependent coffee imports. Finally, we encounter Forgotten Forest, an initiative by Nuyoricans who, inspired by the aftermath of Hurricane María, began cultivating specialty coffee to aid local farmers and bolster the island's economy. These narratives reveal the tenacity and passion of those at the forefront of Puerto Rico's coffee revival, embodying the island's spirit and its people's deep bond with their land and coffee tradition. "Mi Puerto Rico, El Café" is not just a film; it's a tribute to the enduring human spirit and the intimate relationship between Puerto Ricans, their land, and the beloved coffee industry.