Esta Isla (This Island), the powerful debut narrative feature from Puerto Rican filmmakers Lorraine Jones Molina and Cristian Carretero, will have its world premiere in the U.S. Narrative Competition at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, taking place June 4–14 in New York City.
Starring Zion Ortiz, Fabiola Brown, Xavier Morales, Teófilo Torres, and Audicio Robles, the gripping yet tender drama unfolds in a small seaside town in Puerto Rico. Bebo, a teenager living with his older brother in a public housing complex, fishes to survive. As economic pressures mount, the brothers turn to illicit means for quick money. When a deal goes awry, Bebo is forced to flee with Lola, his girlfriend from a wealthy but troubled family.
Their escape into Puerto Rico's mountainous interior becomes a journey into the island’s living past. Taken in by Cora in a rural community, Bebo and Lola uncover buried family histories intertwined with the pro-independence movement and Taino traditions. But even in the mountains, danger lurks. With hitmen in pursuit and the sea—their former lifeline—looming as a possible grave, the young couple must face their inner demons and decide whether redemption is possible.
Based on Carretero's own 2014 short film of the same name, Esta Isla expands its original premise into a richly layered, feature-length narrative. The film draws on the directors' personal and collective memories, deepening its emotional and political resonance.
Shot primarily with natural light and a minimal crew to capture an immersive atmosphere of Tropical Realism, cinematographer Cedric Cheung-Lau, director of The Mountains Are a Dream That Call to Me, lends a poetic visual style that blends realism with surreal elements—reflecting both the precarity of contemporary life and the uncertain future of the island.
A deeply personal exploration of the Puerto Rican condition, the film delves into themes of colonialism, survival, mutual care, and the reverberations of historical trauma. Jones Molina and Carretero bring a fresh voice to Caribbean cinema, centering characters too often erased and telling a story rooted in place, memory, and resistance. A love letter to Puerto Rico and its people, Esta Isla is a testament to the universal experience of survival on the margins.
