RAHWAY — When Gina Marie Rodriguez, of Rahway, lost her father, she went on a journey of self-discovery.
She’s made films before, but is very excited about this one, because it’s so personal to her. “It’s become the most important piece so far,” she said.
The short film is titled “Borinquen Holiday.” Noticing a lot of English speakers sharing some confusion, Rodriguez mentions that the phonetic pronunciation is “bo-REEN-ken.”
She said, “It is the native, Taino, name for the island of Puerto Rico. Subsequently, this is why many Puerto Ricans are also known as ‘Boricuas.’” The singular for Boricuas is Boricua. Her script pulls from her debut, self-published novella that she wrote at age 7. In her film, she revisits memories and moments spent with her father.
Once funding is solidified in late 2026, “Borinquen Holiday” will move into post-production and the festival run will begin, as she aims to share the film with audiences worldwide. The festival run will last no longer than a year, and then the aim is to distribute the film publicly.
In addition to being a filmmaker, Rodriguez is also a writer, director and actor. She grew up in Rahway and says that no one in her family was artistic, to her knowledge. Her dad was 50 when she was born, and he was in a band when he was younger. “Some artistic ties in,” she said.
While she was in second grade, Rodriguez played a nurse who switched two babies. “My first foray into acting,” she said. “People responded really well. I responded to external validation.”
It wasn’t until her freshman year in high school that Rodriguez took a drama class. “The teacher really liked me and motivated me. That’s when I realized I wasn’t half bad,” she said. “Classmates would tear up and I’d get a lot of compliments. This is a way to get people’s attention without being myself. I’m inherently shy. I don’t want people to know my business.”
Rodriguez said she was “terrible” at musicals, having “no musical talent.”
But wanting her to get involved, her drama teacher allowed her to be stage manager. When Rodriguez went on to college at Rutgers University, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in theater and arts communication. Rodriguez was veering toward film. She graduated in 2009.
“I wrote and starred in and produced a short film, a so-called thesis project,” she said.
The 14-minute film was called “Are They All This Crazy?” It was a romantic comedy (rom-com), which Rodriguez said tends to be her preferred field.
Rodriguez created other short films and said she’s still waiting for the big moment. “Life isn’t what you expect it to be,” she said. “Pursing the arts doesn’t bring constant joy. I’m hyper-critical.”
But she is very excited about “Borinquen Holiday.”
With prior projects, she kept them at a low budget, she says, to save herself heartache. “Borinquen Holiday” is a big venture, costing more than $10,000.
“Producing and fundraising for film is expensive,” she said. “I need to hire a crew. All the technical things add up very quickly. Self-criticism and funding are the two most difficult parts.”
Rodriguez is also working on her first feature film. “Sanctuary” is the working title, but she said that might change.
For more information on “Borinquen Holiday” visit: https://seedandspark.com/fund/holiday-adventures-in-puerto-rico.
Photo Courtesy of Verano Eterno
