Powering Puerto Rico

Directed by Adam Fischer (USA 2022, 40 mins)

Puerto Rico, 2017: It all started with a storm and a car battery. Eugene Smotkin, a Northeastern University professor, was home in San Juan for the summer when two disasters struck: His wife had a stroke and Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, leaving more than 3 million people without electricity. After days of powering a cell phone and a small fan with a car battery, Eugene and his wife were finally able to make it to Boston for the medical treatment she desperately needed.

Back on campus, he has an idea: In conjunction with just a few solar panels, Eugene believes he can make a fully functional, affordable, renewable nanogrid system powered by reconditioned hybrid car batteries. And he wants to do so all over Puerto Rico, giving back electricity to a neglected energy populace at a fraction of the current cost.

This is a film about Puerto Rico’s resilience through hardship—and one man’s ingenuity in bringing power to the masses.

Followed by Recorded Q and A with Director Adam Fischer and Eugene Smotkin ( 20min)

with:

Haiti Is A Nation of Artists

Directed by Jacquil Constant (USA 2022, 50 mins)

Haiti Is A Nation Of Artists tells the story of Haitian artists creating transformational art after the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. The documentary depicts the humanity of Haitian culture through the lens of a Haitian-American filmmaker who seeks to uplift the rich diversity of Haiti and its historical legacy.

Followed by a live Q&A