Monument Releasing has secured North American theatrical rights to The Fishbowl (La Pecera), an ecofeminist drama from Puerto Rican writer-director Glorimar Marrero Sánchez that made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. According to Deadline exclusive, the film is set to debut in U.S. theaters in March 2025, aligning with Puerto Rican Emancipation Day on 21 March, followed by a streaming release on 21 May, 2025.
One of the rare Puerto Rican-produced films to screen at Sundance, The Fishbowl unfolds on the island of Vieques, a former U.S. military testing site where toxic munitions like napalm, depleted uranium, and Agent Orange were deployed. The story follows Noelia, played by Isel Rodríguez, a 40-year-old artist confronting terminal cancer while refusing to remain passive in the face of ecological and social devastation. Choosing to keep her diagnosis a secret due to the lack of local medical care, Noelia immerses herself in activism, resisting the long-lasting environmental destruction left behind by military activity. As a hurricane looms and her condition worsens, she reconnects with her mother, her community, and an old love—ultimately facing a harrowing decision: to seek treatment elsewhere or to stay and fight for her people and her homeland.
Produced by Canica Films, Solita Films, and Auna Producciones, the cast includes Modesto Lacén, Magali Carrasquillo, and Maximiliano Rivas. Visit Films is handling sales.
Monument Releasing, in a statement to Deadline, emphasized the film’s broader historical and cultural significance: “The history of Puerto Rico is a parallel to the history of colonization and the rise of the United States as a world power. The Fishbowl takes this multi-century narrative and focuses it on a very human and personal story, set in modern times. Told with an empathetic paintbrush we believe audiences will be excited to learn more about the island’s story and will relate to the strong women that populate this magnificent film, both in front of and behind the camera.”
With its deeply personal narrative woven into the political and environmental struggles of Puerto Rico, The Fishbowl promises to be a poignant addition to next year’s independent film slate.
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