
Arí Maniel Cruz
Directing
Biography
Arí Maniel Cruz Suárez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1978. (Screenwriter, Director & Producer for Film and TV)
Known For

Juan Encarnación is a reserved jibaro with a violent past. When Pura, the woman he loves, disappears, Encarnación sets out on a path of revenge armed with his machete and his daughter, Patria, in his arms.
Once Upon a Time in the Caribbean

125 years of music in Puerto Rico from 1893 to 2018.
Mas De Un Siglo

No description available.
Sana y Salva
Composed by ten stories that focus on an eclectic variety of individuals, for whom music is a way of life. The stories are directed by ten young filmmakers and explore the lives of these 10 different musicians, discovering other places, habitats, fusions, rhythms, landscapes, and lifestyles. All of these real-life characters live IN the realm of music, but not necessarily make a living OFF music.
Ten in Music

Benny, the best North Manhattan barber, inherits a building. He must choose either to sell it (thus ending the history and dreams of an immigrant neighborhood) or keep the Barbershop, center of the community where everything can happen.
La Barberia

A Puerto Rican salon employee is forced to confront her own erotic desires when she becomes obsessed with the violent sexual tendencies of her new neighbors.
Under My Nails

The Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico, Dr. Eduardo Suáre does not agree with the new health reform that the Governor imposes on the country. At the same time, his wife with whom he has been married for more than 30 years and with whom he has six children, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Eduardo faces two crises, one of country and one in his home. Over time the disease completely takes his wife and Eduardo, who left his post in government to dedicate himself to his family, is in need to continue with his life. Submerged in the pain that causes the disease, not only the patient but the relatives and those closest to him, Eduardo begins a new love relationship that gives him back the desire to live.
¿Quién eres tú?

Teenager Carmín lives in a mountainous village in the center of Puerto Rico with her tough and conservative grandmother. Her mother left for the US without her. The arrival of her father, after long years in prison, eases Carmín’s profound sadness. The relationship with him, however, brings its own ambiguousness and complexities and as Carmín moves into womanhood this causes great confusion, mostly for her.
Before the Rooster Crows
Three stories that narrate the normality of life in all three types of urban post-industrialization developments in Puerto Rico, the parcelas, caseríos, and residenciales.
Barrios
No description available.
From Above
Alex, a 10 year old child, faces the trauma of his parents' divorce, a new home, neighborhood, and school. Alex dreams of being a famous ballplayer like his father, but the instability of his new life makes him an insecure child and unable to recognize his talent. The arrival of Zompi, a virtual intelligent animal, transforms and helps him overcome all his fears.
Zompi

Follows the nostalgic life of and old man and his loyal friend, focusing on reflections of the past and changes in Puerto Rican culture.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Short Film)
No description available.
El brindis del bohemio
Jimena Silva, a young author, struggles with herself in order to finish her latest piece. Just three weeks shy of her upcoming deadline, Jimena searches for what she considers are the crucial moments in every relationship. Jimena drowns in the depths of her own experiences as she tries to find her Muse.
Ciclo sin fin

70% of the rum sold in the United States is produced in Puerto Rico. This 35-minute short film tours the island's distilleries and places of historial importance, highlighting the Puerto Rican rum industry. It has the participation of Puerto Rican music figures such as Kany García, El Gran Combo, Pedro Capó and Wisin.
Sounds of the Rum Capital
Juan arrives at Gloria's house after being kicked out by his girlfriend. Gloria helps him find a new partner.
A tu lado
No description available.
Blur
Two women's realities in a world where water is scarce.
La gota

This year, Popular dedicates its musical production to the Christmas holiday season that is celebrated in Puerto Rico for a period of almost two months. The production takes the audience through the various celebrations that take place during that time, from the trullas, Noche Buena, Misa de Gallo, despedida de año, to the Candelaria. All these celebrations have taken root in the Island’s popular culture, which allows Puerto Ricans to celebrate everything that period represents with a lot of music.
Tiempos De Aguinaldo
A visceral drama about love, loss and redemption, portraying the confrontation between a sister and a big brother, both immersed within their own different addictions.