42nd Street
original title: La 42
2025, 91 min., color, Spanish-Castilian
DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES : Art / Music / Literature / Culture, Social / Society / Human, Portraits
COUNTRY: Dominican Republic
PRODUCTION : BUDGET : -
CAST
Demetal, Natasha Dancer, Maco Boba, Ricardo La Música
CREW
Director : Screenplay : José María Cabral & Miguel YarulCinematographer : Hernán Hererera
Producers : José María Cabral
COMMENTS
FESTIVALS: Miami Film Festival (Florida Premiere), SXSW 2025 (World Premiere)
DIRECTOR’S NOTES: For many years, I have been drawn to telling stories that highlight and celebrate the beauty within places often seen only through the lens of fear, rejection, and hostility. In Carpinteros, I crafted a love story within the walls of a prison, and with La 42, I explore a story of resilience through art.
La 42 is not just a neighborhood, it is a battleground where creativity becomes a weapon, where art is an act of defiance, and where talent is a form of survival. This place has inspired me, as it has inspired so many others, to fight through art, to push back against the forces that try to silence and erase. The people of La 42 show bravery not with fists, but with music, dance, and expression. Their art is raw, urgent, and deeply human.
By focusing on lesser-known figures, we can truly immerse ourselves in the daily life of La 42, getting to know its people, their motivations, struggles, weaknesses, and, above all, their talent. Spaces like La 42 must be humanized because they face a harsh reality every day, one that includes not only hardship but also abuses of power, particularly from the police.
This is not a sugar-coated version of La 42. It has its light and its darkness. But this documentary aims to rescue the light that is too often ignored by the majority while also acknowledging the shadows. Above all, we want to remain faithful to the magic of this place—a place where art is both survival and revolution.
SYNOPSIS
A galvanizing sensory trip into the lives of zealous dancers and artists, with a restless appetite for fame, all drawn like moths to its flame. At a time when the police’s malicious tactics clashes head on with Demetal’s unorthodox views and Natasha’s and Maco’s nihilistic approach, a struggle about expression ensues. In a counter-culture fitted to shock and offend the establishment, “La 42” is an unrepentant window into a place and time in the Dominican urban landscape that makes you glad to be alive—all on a 600-meter 42nd street.
PRESS
It’s one of the most visually arresting documentaries and moves with a tempo that matches the form energy of its subjects…it’s structured in much more of an anthology structure, focusing on different artists who explain why they dance and create art…I hold so much gratitude for a film like “42nd Street” that reminds us that dance can be not only a form of resistance but a way to reaffirm our humanity. A free body, one that grooves and moves the way it wants to, is a rebellious act against corrupt police forces and fascist governments that try to restrict movement. I do not doubt that “42nd Street” will inspire all who see it groove in holy defiance. – Zachary Lee, RogerEbert
“In ‘Woodpeckers,’ I crafted a love story within the walls of a prison, and with ‘La 42,’ I explore a story of resilience through art. La 42 is not just a neighborhood, it is a battleground where creativity becomes a weapon, where art is an act of defiance, and where talent is a form of survival,” – Jose Maria Cabral to Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety
“There’s a quote I love from The Peregrine that says: “The hunter must become the thing he hunts.” That’s exactly it. You have to immerse yourself completely, become part of the world you’re capturing. Only then can you tell the story from the inside out.” – Jose Maria Cabral to Grant Vance, No Film School
Cabral doesn’t try to sanitise what we see, though he avoids being gratuitous…Throughout, there is the music, sometimes melodic, sometimes punchy and aggressive, even slipping out of key. It blends with the ambient noise and a certain quality of light to capture the spirit of the place. Using multi-part split screens, Cabral pulls together disparate parts to make a whole, to make it feel like something seen from within. When the time comes for the myth of 42nd Street to be born, the district will have at least this film through which to speak for itself. – Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film
“I thought that by making a documentary, it will honor the place more than me trying to do a fiction version… a lot of the anecdotes and a lot of the stories you hear when you’re there, are about people who are dead now. And most of them died in an unjust matter, many of them by the hands of the police. So I think we needed to give a voice to them, because you feel that they’re there still… This is 42nd street in the Dominican Republic, on steroids.” – Jose Maria Cabral to Shane Slater, Awards Radar
This electric documentary isn’t just about showcasing the teteos, or raves, of 42nd Street in the Dominican Republic; Cabral offers a raw look into the life, experiences, and culture of la gente there. It educates the audience on the history and significance of this street, as well as key Spanish terms, fostering a deeper connection to this vibrant and active community…This film is a powerful testament to the resilience y resistencia de la gente of 42nd Street. – Ben Perez, Austin Vida
Few filmmakers capture the raw, unfiltered essence of a place quite like José María Cabral… A visceral, immersive journey into the lives of dancers, artists, and dreamers drawn to its pulse, 42nd Street doesn’t just document a neighborhood—it invites audiences to feel its energy, its beauty, and its struggles. With police crackdowns intensifying and figures like Demetal, Natasha, and Maco at the heart of its cultural rebellion, the film captures a community fighting for expression on its own terms. – Kevin, Pop Culturalist
A sensory dive into the lives of dancers and artists hungry for fame, clashing with police tactics and unorthodox views. 42nd Street unveils a defiant counter-culture in the Dominican urban scene, – BlackNerdGirls
La 42—a particularly immersive experience that leaves you feeling as if you’ve been there the duration of its short and dense runtime… La 42 succeeds in showcasing the pitfalls of poverty and its many encroaching effects, also painting a humanist picture of how authorities can overstep and marginalize a community. While many members of the community are represented, the most prominent are artist Demetal and the Dembow (“They Bow”) hip-hop scene. Essentially, La 42 is a rich window into an overlooked culture under the guise of a music documentary. – Grant Vance, No Film School
“We live in a time where everyone wants quick answers, wants to immediately label people as the good guy or the bad guy. But sometimes, you just have to let a place speak to you. The characters will reveal themselves. It was a combination of intuition and research.” – Jose Maria Cabral to Kevin, Pop Culturalist