Last October, Academy Award–winning Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno presented fellow Puerto Rican Bad Bunny with the “21st Century Artist Award” at the 2025 Billboard Latin Awards.
A Latino trailblazer of the 20th century, Moreno recalled how she once had to fight through barriers, prejudice, and locked doors, where opportunities were scarce and every small victory mattered. She recognized that same force and determination in Bad Bunny—whom she affectionately called Benito, his real name, Benito Martínez Ocasio.
Every journey has a beginning, and it’s gratifying to see that even short films like La Palabra (The Word, 2025), written, produced, and directed by Ricardo A. Aguirre Jr., capture another real-life story of passing the torch. In the film, Ricardo’s grandmother—Carmen Arroyo, an accomplished poet and respected New York politician—asks him to translate her poems from Spanish to English, setting them on a shared personal and cultural journey.
Ricardo, a New York resident, describes himself early in the film as a kind of outsider. As a light-skinned son of Puerto Rican immigrants who doesn’t speak Spanish, he’s often viewed as “not Puerto Rican enough,” which complicates his grandmother’s request. Carmen steps in as both mentor and guide as they navigate language barriers and cultural gaps.
Their work eventually takes them to Puerto Rico, where the collaboration becomes more than a translation project. It becomes a bridge between generations. As Ricardo digs into the deeper meaning of his grandmother’s words, he finds himself also uncovering the meaning of his own identity. The film culminates not on a grand stage like the Billboard Awards, but on a more intimate platform—one where honoring Carmen’s legacy becomes a celebration of family, heritage, and the power of language.
La Palabra ends not just on a rhythmic beat but on a heartbeat. Ricardo A. Aguirre Jr. may not command the massive audiences who move to the rhythms of Benito Martínez Ocasio, but he brings something vital to the screen: a respect for language, the patience to learn and understand it, and the profound connection formed through his collaboration with his grandmother, the poet Carmen Arroyo. In that quiet, meaningful space, La Palabra rises above commercial trends.
Rating: 9/10
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