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How Bad Bunny’s Short Film Explores Puerto Rico’s Gentrification

Bad Bunny’s new short film and album comment on the gentrification happening in Puerto Rico with its food, culture, and music.

An old man conversating with a talking toad showing him pictures.
Introductory shot of characters in the short film, Señor and Concho. (Credit: YouTube/@BadBunny)

Latin Artist Bad Bunny released a short film for his album that dropped on January 5, 2025, both named Debí Tirar Más Fotos. His return to music has also marked a return to his country, as he claims that this is his “most Puerto Rican” album yet, according to The New York Times.

His album does not only showcase this journey, but the short film, which was released on January 3, had some strong messages about what this album was going to be about. The title translates to “I should’ve taken more photos”, a reminder to himself to stay grounded in the moment and spend more time with the people that you love.

Bad Bunny stated to Popcast,

“I remember back in time, photos used to be something very special. Today you can take a picture of everything. Maybe sometimes I don’t want a picture with someone for many reasons: Maybe I’m not in my best mood… but for them, maybe it is, and the person wants to save that moment. So that’s the meaning of the title — you should appreciate more the moments and the people. It’s not an apology, it’s more like a reminder to myself.”

Fans have said that they got teary-eyed while watching the short film. This not only relates to the future generation of Boricuas (Puerto Rican natives), but also how the situation has impacted the older generation.

What’s going on?

A man taking off his glasses grilling and looking at the native walk down the street.
White man staring at Señor as he’s walking down the street. (Credit: YouTube/@BadBunny)

Before we can review the short film, we need to understand the backstory of what led to this.

Puerto Rico has seen more of their natives put up “for sale” signs throughout Rincón, Arecibo, Ponce, and more towns across the island.

This is because of Act 60 (a combination of Acts 20 and 22, designed to improve the economy of Puerto Rico), which allows foreigners to reduce their federal income tax drastically (about 0% – 4% income tax rate).

This has attracted rich and high-end individuals to migrate to the island and buy land or a house to qualify.

A New York Times article went more in-depth into the situation of Puerto Rico. It stated that in 2021, around 1,300 applications had been submitted by investors to become resident investors. Of those, over 980 had already been approved.

“One of the biggest challenges to renting is that prices keep going up, but the salary and the power of people to buy and rent houses stays the same,” stated Federico Cintrón-Moscoso. He’s an educator and program director of El Puente, which is a human rights organization based in New York and Puerto Rico.

This leaves many locals with no houses they can buy/rent in their budget. With home prices soaring since 2017, a two-bedroom condo could cost around $490,000.

Writers Coral Murphy Marcos and Patricia Mazzei state the average income in Rincón is $19,900.

What does the short film have to say about Puerto Rico?

A Pandería Waitress waiting to take an order
The waitress tries to take Señor’s order from the new Pandería. (Credit: YouTube/@BadBunny)

So, with this knowledge, the audience can understand the premise of Bad Bunny’s short film. It’s a story about how much of Puerto Rico has changed in the last decade.

The film is roughly 13 minutes. However, the Latin artist was able to fit plenty of content in this short amount of time.

We follow an old man played by famous Puerto Rican director, writer, and actor Jacobo Morales. The old man doesn’t have a name. He’s only referred to as Señor throughout the film.

Much of the film is Señor reminiscing the old times with his best friend, Concho. Concho is a native Puerto Rican toad, known as the crested toad.

Not only has his neighborhood changed, but so has the Pandería (bakery) that Señor used to go to. This is a reference to the influx of foreigners that have begun to change the native culture and foods that they eat.

This becomes apparent during the scene in the Flamboyán Pandería. The waitress has no idea what Señor is referring to when he says he wants “papa cheese” on his pastrami.

Only one other person knows what he means: the chef in the back, who is also Puerto Rican. This is an important scene, one that Bad Bunny lets audiences linger on.

One of the more important aspects of this film is the fact that many locals feel their culture is being erased by foreigners when it comes to food, music, and even language.

Two men talking as one tells him thank you for the money.
Young man walks up to Señor and pays for his food, saying “Seguimos Aquí.” (Credit: YouTube/@BadBunny)

That is why when the young man pays for Señor’s food, he says the phrase “Seguimos Aquí,” which roughly translates to “We continue here”. This reassures Señor, reminding him that there are still Puerto Ricans out there.

Throughout the short film, viewers can also hear tracks from Bad Bunny’s album, such as in the beginning, or when Señor dreams about driving down the neighborhood blasting music.

Overall, the short film acknowledges the present situation of Puerto Rico while still recognizing that the future is one to be decided by natives and Puerto Ricans around the globe.

Señor and Concho

A man and a toad sit outside a pink house and eat a Quesito and Pastrami with coffee
Señor and Concho relaxing and eating. (Credit: YouTube/@BadBunny)

The two main characters from the film, Señor and Concho, contain many symbols of Puerto Rico. These details help the audience interpret that they represent the older generation and culture.

For Señor, he represents the relics of his past, and we see that through the film. He comments about the change in food in one of his lines saying:

“Yo no sabía que había quesito sin queso” (Translation: I didn’t know there was Quesito without cheese)

A subtle comment, however the deeper understanding the audience is supposed to take away from this is the fact that many of the cultural places and foods of Puerto Rico are slowly disappearing.

The film climaxes when Señor begins to talk about how the neighborhood used to look and sound, with music blasting and cars and bikes driving past. As Señor calls it, “el sonido del barrio” (Translation: The sound of the neighborhood).

A toad standing on top of a table talking to an old man
Concho, the Puerto Rican crested toad in the short film. (Credit: YouTube/@BadBunny)

Meanwhile, Concho represents the culture, as he himself is a native species to Puerto Rico. Interestingly, the species is almost extinct, listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

This is symbolism to Puerto Ricans on the island, as now there seems to be more moving out. The rapid increase in food, housing, electricity, and other basic needs are major reasons for locals to leave.

Concho is Bad Bunny’s way of saying that if the gentrification of the culture, food, language, and traditions continues on the Island, Puerto Rico will soon disappear.

However, it’s also Concho that represents what the future could be like for Boriquas. He is the first to inspire Señor to dream of bringing back the old times to his neighborhood.

Concho is the culture, and he’s also the spirit that many Puerto Ricans should’ve felt while watching the short film, preserving the culture and continuing the music and food for generations to come.

The film ends with Señor and Concho deciding to take photos to remember the moment. This is a callback to the beginning when Señor wishes he had taken more photos.

More Than Photos

A long road with a jeep on top getting ready to drive down playing music
A dream sequence where a new song, “VeLDÁ,” plays. (Credit: YouTube/@BadBunny)

Many Puerto Ricans have started to protest and help out other natives who need aid.

Take Samuel Sánchez Tirado for example. He helps Rincón with its federal Section 8 program to provide affordable housing.

Others have taken to the streets to not only protest, but also create art depicting the situation across the island.

We see this with Bad Bunny, an artist who has never been afraid to speak his mind with songs like “El Apagón”, “Una Velita”, or his newest song off his album, “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii”.

“You see it in different ways. [There are] more showings of Bomba y Plena, one of Puerto Rico’s traditional forms of music. You see more cultural activities like local markets and concerts or performances that are showcasing and discussing these issues, integrating art and culture into it,” Moscoso expresses.

With this album, Bad Bunny intends to preserve the instruments and rhythms of the Island with his 17 tracks. The album has received great reviews from his fanbase, introducing them to music genres that they have grown up with.

The short film was impactful. If you haven’t already seen it, I recommend that you watch and understand the messages from the film. The album that Bad Bunny has released is another start to understanding Puerto Rico’s situation.

As long as there are Boricuas willing to preserve the Island and its traditions, future generations of Puerto Ricans will be able to visit their Island and know where they’re from.

As Bad Bunny stated on the podcast:

“I just know that there’s always going to be people who are going to protect and defend our country and our culture. And that’s the people that I want to have around me. That’s the people that I believe. And that’s something that I also want to inspire and promote with this project.”

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My name is Jaeqwon, and I am a junior in college studying Journalism. I love to listen to, learn about, and talk about music, and I'm always down to be introduced to new artists!

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