Pedro Bermúdez. (USA/Puerto Rico) 18:30 min. (Filmed in Hartford, Connecticut)
Victor is a young grandfather saddled with caring for his adolescent grandson in Hartford, Connecticut. After Javier’s shoes are stolen, the gulf between the two of them reaches a breaking point. Victor sets out to buy his grandson new shoes by selling his pet rooster. What starts off well intentioned quickly turns desperate as Javier enters the local underground cockfighting circuit.
The creation of Hasta Mañana began a decade ago in Puerto Rico, when director Pedro Bermudez, a Hartford native, met a man who loved the sport of cockfighting so much he’d organize fights in apartments around Rochester, New York. Cockfighting is legal and much beloved in Puerto Rico but is banned in the United States.
Filmed on-location in Hartford, using mostly local non-professional actors from the area, Hasta Mañana captures the fraught relationship of a grandfather and grandson in the context of cultural tradition and financial hardship.
Never fear! No animals were actually harmed in the making of the film. The filmmakers were fortunate to work with animal wrangler Eric Colon, who developed a specialty rooster harness while working on set of The Rum Diaries to ensure that no animals ever fully make contact. Taxidermied roosters took the place of live roosters to complete the illusion. A representative from the Humane Society was also on set through the production to ensure safety and compliance as well.
Followed by a Q&A with director Pedro Bermúdez