VELORIOS, 2018-2023
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For about 10 years Funeraria Marin , based out of San Juan , PR has been catering to their customers by embalming the corpse of their loved ones in such a way that they can be viewed as if they were still living. A final farewell that is visually striking and gives much to think about. These are not your normal funeral arrangements. A few years back locals made viral the story of “el muerto parao” as the local media outlets covered the bizarre way a recently assassinated man's corpse was viewed while standing up.
Other examples range from a boxer shown in fighting stance on a ring to a man shown as if riding his motorcycle and yet another man who was known in his neighborhood for dressing as green lantern and held the wake in his living room wearing the costume everyone would remember him by.
This unusual way of bidding farewell, steeped in the nuances of Puerto Rican culture , make for an interesting opportunity to explore the deeper reasons as to why this sort of service is requested and how the process itself is carried on in a family business, as well as the sociological context in which it takes place.
This documentary seeks to build upon the stories of the folks who requested this service and the communities they are from. Going into the contexts that shaped them and the performative aspects of their final resting stances.
︎SPA