Residente Wraps Filming of "Porto Rico" in the Dominican Republic

Residente has finished shooting his first narrative feature as a director, filmed in the Dominican Republic after a dispute over tax incentives in Puerto Rico.

Filming of "Porto Rico," the first narrative feature directed by Puerto Rican artist René Pérez Joglar, known as Residente, has wrapped in the Dominican Republic. According to the artist himself, the shoot ended on Wednesday.

Residente announced the news in a social media story, posting an image of the clapperboard with the phrase "It's a wrap," the film industry's expression for the end of production. The shoot lasted 55 days on Dominican territory.

The movie is a Caribbean western that draws on part of Puerto Rico's colonial history, based on real events. It takes as its starting point the life of José Maldonado Román, known as Águila Blanca, a 19th-century Puerto Rican revolutionary tied to the struggles against Spanish colonial rule. Residente co-wrote the script with Alexander Dinelaris, an Oscar winner for "Birdman."

The international cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Edward Norton, and Bad Bunny, in his first leading role in a feature film. Additional casting announcements include Richard Gadd, Rhenzy Feliz, Daniel Brühl, Rubén Blades, and Luis Tosar, among others. Anthony Dod Mantle is the cinematographer, and Alejandro González Iñárritu is credited as executive producer.

Production moved to the Dominican Republic after disputes arose over the tax incentives available for audiovisual projects in Puerto Rico. In September, Residente voiced his frustration with efforts to film in his homeland: "As you may have heard, this film could have been shot in Puerto Rico, but the government we have made it impossible." He also thanked the Dominican Republic for opening its doors to the production crew.

"Porto Rico" does not have a release date yet.