Educational Media Reviews Online

For those who lived through the Great Recession in the late 2000s, the phrase “too big to fail” is an easily recognizable way to discuss how certain financial institutions were too large and interconnected that the failure of any of these institutions would have a disastrous impact on the overall economy. During this same period, Puerto Rico was experiencing an economic crisis which included high debt to Wall Street bondholders. Drills of Liberation (Simulacros de Liberation) examines the protest in Puerto Rico to the establishment of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (La Junta de Control/Supervisión Fiscal). This oversight board was created under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act of 2016 signed by President Barrack Obama. The charge for this oversight board was to improve the fiscal health of Puerto Rico. With a broad range of authority, this board-initiated measures, including the privatization of public assets and austerity measures that many on the island felt went too far.

Following the protest movement that developed out of these austerity measures, this film documents how young people associated with Jornada: Se Acabaron Las Promesas made the argument that this oversight board was a return to colonial rule and shows Puerto Rico did not have sovereignty under the rule of the United States. Images from protests knitted together with news and other clips tell an impactful story of the power of grassroots protest movements.

Interviews and news clips in this film are in Spanish and English but did not include English subtitles. Without English subtitles, many possible audiences will not have a full understanding of what is being communicated. While the powerful message in this film is undeniable, without proper subtitles, this film will have a limited audience in the United States and for many academic and public libraries. Ultimately, this film is recommended for any library collection that supports Puerto Rican Studies, modern United States history, and Caribbean Studies. It will also have applicability to collections supporting direct community activism and social justice.

Awards:
“Honorable Mention” Best Documentary Feature, Workers Unite! Film Festival, 2021; “Semi-Finalist” Best Documentary Feature, Blow-Up Arthouse Filmfest, Chicago, 2021

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