‘DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’: Bad Bunny’s Short Film Unites Generations of Puerto Ricans Against Gentrification

Bad Bunny’s innovative short film reflects on what it means to retain memories and Puerto Rican cultural identity in the face of gentrification. 

Written by Sarah David

Illustrated by Kate Crowder

The sixth studio album of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known professionally as Bad Bunny, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, circulated widely in the media and received global praise since its release in January. From “DtMF,” to “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” and “NUEVAYoL,” the album’s release at the start of 2025 quickly soared to the top of the Billboard Global 200 chart, remaining at the number one rank in both songs and albums worldwide for multiple consecutive weeks. Ranging in genre from salsa to plena and even classic reggaeton, the 17-track album serves as an homage to Puerto Rico and “Puerto Ricans around the world,” as stated on the promotional album cover. Bad Bunny blends his signature sound with traditional Puerto Rican musical genres while simultaneously addressing deeply rooted political issues. 

One of the album’s most discussed themes is the recent rise of gentrification on the island — a direct result of legislation primarily benefiting wealthy elite Americans. To reinforce this message, Bad Bunny released a self-directed short film, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” (translated as “I Should Have Taken More Photos), which dissects themes of nostalgia, native alienation, and cultural restoration while tackling the disappearance of traditional Puerto Rican culture. Released just two days before the official album drop, the short film has moved many viewers to tears as they reflect on their homeland and fear what the future of Puerto Rico may entail. 

The film, co-directed by Bad Bunny and Arí Maniel Cruz Suárez, stars legendary Puerto Rican filmmaker Jacobo Morales as Señor, a man reflecting on his life through photographs, and Kenneth Canales as Sapo Concho, an amiable and critically endangered frog native to Puerto Rico who Señor tells his tale to. Concho serves as a powerful symbol of the island people’s current state. If gentrification fully consumes the nation, then the substance and culture of Puerto Rico. 

While trekking down the mountain to La Flamboyán Panaderia to find something to eat for himself and Concho, Señor hears heavy American rock music blaring from a traditional Puerto Rican cement house — a shocking and somewhat absurd contrast. As he continues down the path, he is surprised to see an American family having a barbecue, listening to country music, and playing football in the yard. Here, Bad Bunny uses American music to signal the invasive presence of U.S. culture in even the most remote island regions. This specific scene showcases the erasure of Puerto Rico’s original cultural identity after the extreme redevelopment of the island’s infrastructure and culture. According to The New York Times, recent legislation  such as Act 60, a combination of tax laws allowing foreigners to reduce their federal income tax with as low as 0% to 4%,  has led to the “influx of the affluent new settlers pushing up home prices and displacing residents who can no longer afford to live in their hometowns.” Many of these investors have settled into smaller towns like Rincón, as depicted in the film.

These laws, designed to attract and benefit wealthy foreigners, have led to the displacement and relocation of locals across both metropolitan and rural areas of Puerto Rico. In just two years since Act 60’s enactment in 2019, over 4,500 non-native individuals and businesses have relocated to the island to take advantage of tax exemptions, the majority coming from the United States. This influx of new residents has forced thousands of native Puerto Rican families out of their homeland, catching the attention of many locals, including Bad Bunny.

Photo courtesy of Adriana De Jesús Salamán

After passing through the neighborhood, Señor approaches the panadería to purchase food for him and Concho, where he is greeted by an American cashier. While the people in the background around him all speak in English, Señor asks for his sandwich with “papa” cheese, a Puerto Rican slang term for a type of cheddar, confusing the cashier. A native Puerto Rican chef steps in to clarify, portraying the erasure of Puerto Rican Spanish.

Subsequently, Bad Bunny vividly illustrates the forced erasure of Puerto Rican tradition and culture through the quesíto, a traditional Puerto Rican cream cheese-filled pastry, as a symbol. After asking for a simple, traditional quesíto, the cashier asks if he would like the most popular option: a cheeseless quesíto. Angry at the blatant Americanization of a beloved traditional food, Señor later expresses the absurdity of the situation to Concho. Bad Bunny utilizes the vegan quesíto, a cheese-filled pastry without cheese, as a metaphor for a Puerto Rico without Puerto Ricans — stripped of its defining elements yet still called the same. The scene continues this theme when a man, witnessing Señor’s frustration, offers to pay for his overpriced $30 meal when it is revealed the establishment is cashless payments only. “Seguimos aquí,” or, “We are still here,” the man says earnestly, providing a rare moment of reassurance. Despite everything, the few Puerto Ricans featured in the film stand together, acting as the remaining voice for those who have already been displaced.

Photo courtesy of Urbanda Magazine

After an intimate and familiar montage of classic Puerto Rican breakfast preparation — highlighting the comfort of preserving traditional elements — Señor and Concho relax on their porch, eating their food and reminiscing about how Puerto Rico used to be. As a car passes by blasting reggaeton music —“VeLDÁ” from DtMF — Señor finds solace in the familiarity of the music. He remarks on how it has been a long time since he has heard a car like that pass, causing him to recall the sounds of the barrio, otherwise known as the urban neighborhoods on the island. Hinting at Puerto Rico’s voceteo culture, Bad Bunny, raised in the barrio of Almirante Sur, presents this musical motif of the country’s aural history and culture as a form of power against the oppressor. The island’s traditionally inspired music, though fleeting as the car zooms past Señor and Concho, is used to combat against the American music blaring in the neighborhood. 

By featuring his traditionally-inspired track to exhibit the reclaiming of Puerto Rican culture against the newly residing foreigners, Bad Bunny evokes a deep sense of nostalgia for the culture that was once so vibrantly present on the island. As Señor listens to the music, he imagines taking back this power from the outsiders, reinforcing the importance of preserving tradition in the face of cultural erasure. 

Shortly after releasing his album, Bad Bunny announced his first-ever 21-show residency at El Choliseo in Puerto Rico on Jan. 13, stating in his promotional video “No me quiero ir de aquí” (“I don’t want to leave here”). This phrase directly alludes to his 2022 song “El Apagón” and its short film, which explored similar themes of housing displacement. In an interview with Popcast, the artist explained that writing his album while living in the United States made him appreciate the rich culture of his homeland. The “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” short film reflects this idea as Señor longs for the Puerto Rico of the past, wishing simultaneously that he had taken more pictures and that he lived in the moment.

Both the “DtMF” short film and album have revolutionized how Puerto Ricans think about the current state of the island. The creative works serve as a call to restore their culture. Reflected in songs like “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” which pays tribute to classic salsa, and “CAFé CON RON” and “DtMF,” which incorporate plena, a traditional Afro-Puerto Rican dance and musical genre, Bad Bunny’s tribute to traditional Puerto Rican styles of music in DtMF has resonated with all generations of Puerto Ricans as a fight for change. These themes of pride and patriotism from the short film carry over to his recent music video for “LA MuDANZA” (“The Move”), where Bad Bunny runs past a mural reading “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí” while holding a Puerto Rican flag and fleeing from police attempting to force him out. 

Through literal and metaphorical images of displacement, the artist has continuously highlighted the same pressing issue of gentrification within his music for years, but his short film takes it to the extreme by severely warning people how the island can be drastically impacted for generations to come if nothing is addressed. As the two main characters in the film continue looking at the few old photos Señor has taken, the film indirectly encourages Puerto Ricans to appreciate the subtleties of everyday life. Bad Bunny urges viewers to carry on the island’s culture, resisting the cultural erasure caused by gentrification.This message extends to other tracks on the album, like “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), a melancholic and desperate plea against the over-tourism and gentrification threatening the island.

As the camera slowly pans out, revealing the grandiose Puerto Rican mountains and a flamboyán, the country’s national tree, Bad Bunny reminds his listeners to live in the moment and appreciate their cultural origin. Like the man in the panadería said, “We are still here.” Through his short film, Bad Bunny continues to galvanize efforts to reclaim the island from the hands of the wealthy elite before the Puerto Rican identity is erased entirely. Connecting with other cultures experiencing the first-hand harm of gentrification and homogenization, the “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” short film serves as a reminder for people to take a step back and feel proud of their individual traditions and to stand up against any force that tries to silence them for who they are — ensuring future generations can thrive.