Event
Hasta Mañana
This is the world premiere of Hasta Mañana, a short film by Hartford-born director Pedro Bermudez commissioned by Real Art Ways with support from the Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation’s Creation of New Work Initiative.
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.
About the artist
Pedro Bermudez is co-founder of Revisionist, a film and music video production company that specializes in commercial work. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Hartford in 2007, Bermudez spent three years working at ESPN, where he produced original content for various digital media channels. He continued his education at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. There, Bermudez earned an MA in Film Directing in 2011 and was the recipient of the Petrie Award for Excellence and the Board of Trustees Scholarship. His thesis film, Antifaz, a period piece set in Buenos Aires during the military junta, won the Special Jury prize at the USA Film Festival in Dallas.
Directed by Pedro Bermudez
Cinema Admission: $5
Real Art Ways's facilities are wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices are available at the café.
Collaboration and Support
This project was funded with the support of the Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation’s Creation of New Work Initiative.
