In 1948, the United States Congress allowed Puerto Ricans to elect their own governor for the first time. The Puerto Ricans elected Luis Muñoz Marín, who promised to improve the living conditions of his people. One of his projects was the foundation of DIVEDCO, (División de Educación de la Communidad) the Division of Community Education. Its goal was to educate the masses, particularly the rural population, about issues of health, education, democracy, and the economy.
It did so by producing didactic posters, films, and booklets in a similar style to those produced by the WPA during President Roosevelt’s New Deal. In the process, the division also created images and films of the traditions of rural Puerto Rican life that were rapidly disappearing. DIVEDCO made this art until 1989, when the division was disbanded.

En el 1948, el Congreso de Estados Unidos permitió a los puertorriqueños a elegir su propio gobernador por primera vez. Los puertorriqueños eligierón a Luis Muñoz Marín, quien se comprometió a mejorar las condiciones de vida de su pueblo. Uno de sus proyectos fue la fundación de DIVEDCO, División de Educación de la Comunidad. Su objetivo era educar a las masas, especialmente la población rural, sobre temas de salud, la educación, la democracia y la economía.

Lo hizo mediante la producción de carteles didácticos, películas y folletos en un estilo similar a las producidas por la WPA durante el New Deal del presidente Roosevelt. En el proceso, la división también ha creado imágenes y películas de las tradiciones rurales de la vida puertorriqueña que estaban desapareciendo rápidamente. DIVEDCO hecho de este arte hasta 1989, cuando la división fue disuelta.

Center Without Walls and The Studio at Billings Forge will screen some of these films in a weekly OUTDOOR format during the month of July.

All evenings begin at 7:30pm with screenings starting at sunset. All movies are in Spanish without subtitles. Bring a blanket, lawn chair and a picnic!! Fun for the whole family!

The schedule looks as follows:

Wednesday, July 11 • Miercoles 11 de julio:

Bienvenida e introducción

“Juan sin seso”
Tema: Desarrollo urbano / Publicidad / Industrialización /
Educación al consumidor
(Luis A. Maisonet, 1959) 16 min.
The DIVEDCO tackles the problem of consumer culture as the extreme of “progress.” “Juan sin seso” means, literally, “Juan has no brains.” This brief but important film attempts to exercise damage control over the pernicious effects of accelerated modernization, and is emblematic of some of the DIVEDCO’s structuring contradictions. With a screenplay by René Marqués.

“Una voz en la montaña”
Tema: Organización comunal / Salud pública / Vida cotidiana /
Sucesos Familiares
(Amílcar Tirado, 1952) 30min.
“Una voz” was the first DIVEDCO film directed by a local film maker and went on to participate in film festivals in Edinburgh and Venice, where it was awarded Participation and Merit Diplomas by the jury.

“Modesta”
Tema: Los derechos de la mujer
(Benji Doniger, 1955) 36 min.
Prize winner, Venice Festival 1956. The DIVEDCO’s most important attempt to depict women’s rights in the context of modernization processes in Puerto Rico. Modesta leads a group of women in Barrio Sonadora, Guaynabo, in a strike against their husbands to demand their rights in a domestic context.

Wednesday, July 18 • Miercoles 18 de julio:

Bienvenida e introducción

“Juan sin seso”
Tema: Desarrollo urbano / Publicidad / Industrialización /
Educación al consumidor
(Luis A. Maisonet, 1959) 16 min.
The DIVEDCO tackles the problem of consumer culture as the extreme of “progress.” “Juan sin seso” means, literally, “Juan has no brains.” This brief but important film attempts to exercise damage control over the pernicious effects of accelerated modernization, and is emblematic of some of the DIVEDCO’s structuring contradictions. With a screenplay by René Marqués.

“El cacique”
Tema: Organización comunal / Salud pública / Vida cotidiana /
Sucesos familiares
(Benjamín Doniger, 1957) 25 min.
A dramatization of the way a group of rural people resolve their issues with an authoritarian town leader. 

“Doña Julia”
Tema: Salud / Intolerancia
(Skip Faust, 1959) 45 min.
This documentary was produced to educate the community about medical care. The story revolves around the sickness of Dona Julia’s daughter Maria. After a bad experience at the local hospital, she seeks cures through non-traditional medical care, when the potions that she administers fail to cure her daughter she is persuaded to return the girl to the hospital where she is properly diagnosed and cured.

Wednesday, July 25 • Miercoles 25 de julio:

Bienvenida e introducción

“Los peloteros”
Tema: Vida campesina / Desarrollo rural
(Jack Délano, 1951) 83 min.
The first truly Puerto Rican film, 1953′s Los Peloteros, featured a Puerto Rican cast and was based on a real story. Ramón Rivero (Diplo) starred as the inspirational coach of a children’s baseball team. His impoverished team played with old, broken equipment and longed for uniforms. Known as a comedian, the role enabled Rivero to demonstrate his dramatic abilities. The children in the movie were not professional actors; they actually were poor children cast at the shooting locale. Photographer Jack Delano directed the film for the Puerto Rican government’s Division of Community Education. Some consider Los Peloteros to be the best Puerto Rican film ever made.