The Caribbean island of Santa Cruz del Islote is barely larger than a football pitch, yet it’s one of the most densely-populated places on Earth. Despite the cramped conditions and poverty, its inhabitants tend to stay put, year after year. But one of them, Joel, dreams of something bigger. He wants to become a nurse and help his community, but to do so he must leave the island and attend university.
“Stuck on Santa Cruz,” a poignant new documentary by Zule Gattás Morrón, tells the story of Joel’s struggle for education and opportunity. Through interviews with Joel, his family, and other residents of the island, as well as stunning visuals of Santa Cruz’s day-to-day life, this film shows how one young man’s dreams and actions can inspire others to pursue their own goals, even in the bleakest of circumstances.
