Parity Pipeline

Genre

Synopsis

It is the Fall of 2018 and Puerto Rico is reeling from the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria. All over the island we see evidence of the disaster- fallen trees, downed cables, crushed houses, flooded streets. On almost every corner we see lines of residents waiting patiently for their turn to get some gasoline, or food, or water. The feeling of despair and hopelessness is palpable. We hear news being blasted on radio and televisions, like a constant hum that doesn’t go away. We see inside the homes of so many families, doing the best that they can without electricity: Fanning themselves to keep cool, using small amounts of water to bathe in or wash the dishes with. Opening up refrigerators that are mostly empty. Children cry in the streets, as mothers try to comfort them. We zero in on one young mother running quickly out of her home- a small cement house in Loiza. Loiza, Puerto Rico’s little Africa… a world all it’s own. Loiza- where Black is beautiful. She is looking playfully for her son, who is hiding beneath the table in the yard. As she calls and calls: “Raffa… Raaffa……” he giggles silently to himself, enjoying this game of hide-and-seek. She finally finds him and chases him out from underneath the table with a broom. He runs, but she is faster, and backs him into a corner, where she swoops him up into her arms and spins him around. The two spin and laugh until they are dizzy and finally collapse happily to the floor. Later that night, as she puts her son to bed by candlelight, she sings softly to him. He doesn’t talk- only stares at the ceiling. When she is finished, she kisses him on the forehead and blows out the candle. She quietly walks out the door. The following morning, she walks with her son to the local school. Amidst the chaos of excited young children, we see lines of protesters and news anchors: “No more School closings”, “Our Children Need an Education!”, ‘How many more schools are you going to close today?!” The principal tries unsuccessfully to speak to the residents and newscasters: “We have no choice”, ‘The Government has not provided the funding that we need”. Raffa and his mother walk intently to the building, trying their best to ignore the commotion. As they finally reach the inside, they walk together to his classroom. Raffa’s mom hugs him goodbye and he walks quietly to his seat. Later that day- Raffa’s mother speaks with a school counselor. Raffa is not doing well, and seems to have gotten worse since the hurricane. They can’t provide the help that he needs, and they will soon be closing down. Over-whelmed and defeated- Raffa’s mom asks where she can take him, but he has no answers for her. Only half- felt apologies. That evening- while Raffa plays by himself in the living room, she makes the call that she has been dreading, and with tears streaming down her face, she slowly begins to pack. Several weeks later, they are living in Newark. Raffa is having a hard time adjusting. He is even more quiet and withdrawn. None of the teachers can reach him- he does not participate in class- only sitting in his chair and staring out of the window. One afternoon, a new teacher arrives. There is something different about her- although he can’t figure out exactly what it is. Only that he feels instantly drawn to her. She gathers the class in a circle on the floor and begins to read to them the stories of Pura Belpre: ‘Ote”, “The Tiger and the Rabbit”, ‘Firefly Summer”. As the teacher reads these stories, she acts them out for the children thru puppets- just as Pura did when she was alive. Mesmerized by the puppets-he follows their every word and movement. He holds them in his hands and runs his fingers over each one-fascinated by the textures and the details. And for the first time in months, he seems energized and happy. Raffa is enchanted with the stories that the “Puppet Teacher” tells- in them he sees himself, his family, his homeland. He begins to re-create the puppets at home- using whatever materials he can find. He re-enacts the stories in his room- imagining himself in the hero roles. We enter “his” world as the puppets come to life in his mind. The school year drags on-his mother has found some level of comfort in their new apartment and has found work as a nanny. She loves that Raffa has found a new passion and is intrigued by his creations. On the last day of class, the students put on a presentation in the school auditorium for the parents. When Raffa’s turn comes, he bravely approaches the front of the stage to present an original puppet show, using the puppets he created himself. In the story, he tells the story of a mom and her son, who left a beautiful island that was devastated by a horrible storm. His puppets show how sad and scared he was, but how he knows he will be ok as long as his mother is by his side. As his mother watches proudly- He is met with a standing ovation. He has finally found his place.