About the Project
Ten-year-old Adan lives a carefree life in the rural town of Palmarejo, Puerto Rico, in the late 1950’s, surrounded by his friends, his caring mother, Lilliam, and his beloved pet goat, Chivo. His father, Pablo, returns home from New York City after a brief absence, bringing good news that he has found employment there and announcing he will be moving the family to the distant city immediately. Although Adan initially thinks the trip will be fun and exciting, he finds out that he cannot take Chivo along with him. When Pablo admits that he will probably sell the animal to a local farmer, Guillermo, Adan fears that Chivo will be slaughtered for his meat. So Adan goes on a quest to find a new home for his goat. After failing to sell Chivo to some town locals, he is advised by Don Francisco, a snow cone vendor, to solicit Tiaca, an old maid known to have raised several orphans throughout her life. Recognizing that she might be his only hope, Adan decides to find Tiaca on the mountain summit. But he is not alone: Denise, his childhood friend, agrees to help out. In their arduous journey, they encounter Guillermo, cross an unsteady river, listen to coqui frogs, and play childish games. When they reach Tiaca’s cabin, they discover that Tiaca is senile, frail, and barely able to take care of herself, let alone any animals. Thus, Adan and Denise wander home, defeated. Realizing he has no choice but sell Chivo to Guillermo, Adan shares a heartfelt one-on-one with his pet, much like a father to a son. As his family departs the town, Adan shares his first kiss with Denise in the back of a pick-up truck. He waves goodbye as Denise becomes smaller in the horizon…. Adan returns to Palmarejo as an older gentleman, reliving these final, bittersweet memories of his life before happily encountering Denise again.
Production Team
