LRM is proud to exclusively premiere the trailer for the award-winning Puerto Rican film, La Granja.

Breaking Glass Pictures has announced the U.S. theatrical and VOD release of the Puerto Rican drama La Granja (The Farm) from first-time director Angel Manuel Soto. In the vein of Amores Perros, La Granja provides a “strong visual sense, along with powerful performances” (Remezcla) and is described as “one of the most impressive films coming out of Puerto Rico in recent years” (CineXpress). The film opens in Los Angeles and San Diego on Friday, June 9, followed by other U.S. cities, and a VOD release on June 20.

The official synopsis for La Granja is below:

“In the small sector of a Macondo-like island forgotten by the catastrophic effects of an economic depression and drug addiction, lives are pushed to the limit. A promising young boxer, a barren midwife, and a fat kid with a bike: three intersecting stories focus around the pursuit of happiness and its unanticipated consequences during the economic collapse of the island of Puerto Rico. Each actor in this modern day tragedy will ultimately discover how the pursuit of hope can dehumanize and expose underlying animal instincts.”

Winner of the Best First Film Award at the Guadalajara Film Festival and nominated for Best Foreign Language at the UK National Film Academy, La Granjaheld its world premiere at Fantastic Fest and had a successful film festival run playing at Tribeca, Raindance, Miami, among others. Soto’s acclaimed debut feature offers a timely and electrifying portrayal of the hardships and hopelessness of life in modern Puerto Rico, and heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in Puerto Rican cinema.

Below is a statement from the director regarding the flick:

“In the film, the lives of a midwife, a young boxer, a mute child, and a young couple collide unexpectedly in a story about the desperate pursuit of happiness on the streets of Puerto Rico. At the 31st Festival Internacional de Guadalajara, it was held as the helmer of the Puerto Rican New Wave, shining a spotlight on Puerto Rican Cinema and opening doors as interest in local films now grow thanks to its achievements.

“Four years after its completion, traveling the world on the festival circuit, and intense political turmoil due to its dystopian portrayal of the island during the aftermath of an economic collapse (sounds familiar?), this subversive work of art finally finds its opportunity to be shown to the people of Puerto Rico in commercial theaters.

“No one likes to look in the mirror when they are hurting. When they feel ugly or vulnerable. Nobody likes to be asked the right questions at an unfortunate time. But someone has to do it. And that’s precisely what LA GRANJA intends to generate.

“Be that mirror that makes you uncomfortable, and encourages you to have a conversation. As Puerto Rico faces a tough future and government change, timing couldn’t be better to show the extremes that can be avoided through education and empowerment.”

Be sure to keep your browsers tuned to LRM Online next week, when we share our full review for this hard-hitting drama.

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SOURCES: Breaking Glass Pictures