THIS FILM IS IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

El Monte - Documentary Presentation

El Monte is a video documentary that tells the story of the development, design, and construction of El Monte, the iconic multi-family housing complex in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Designed and built in the 1960s, a transformative time in Puerto Rico's socio-economic development, El Monte, as a project, offers many lessons in urban design, architecture, and community living.

The documentary was produced by Fundación por la Arquitectura (Puerto Rico Architecture Foundation) and directed by Abnel Hernandez of Abjoh Films. It features El Monte residents: Santiago Gala-Aguilera, Melba Ferrer Quintero, Sofía Irene Cardona and Vivian Otero Barrera.

This project was made possible thanks to the support of Humanidades Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Foundation for the Humanities) and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Since its premiere, the documentary has been screened both in and outside of Puerto Rico and has been selected for several local and international film festivals, including:

The International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival in New York City
The Latino & Native American Film Festival in New Haven, Connecticut, where it received the Environmental, Social, Economic, and Political Justice Award
The Vieques Human Rights Film Festival, where it received an Honorable Mention in the Local Documentary Short Film category
It recently received an honorable mention in the research and theory category at the American Institute of Architects Puerto Rico Chapter Design Awards.

Fundación por la Arquitectura

Fundación por la Arquitectura (Puerto Rico Architecture Foundation) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote architecture and educate about the value of design in our built and natural environment.

El Monte Documentary Screening - 15