For Edward Garcia, being incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) has allowed him to tap into his creativity.
“I’m thankful for Mule Creek because the environment allows me to have time to be in a creative space,” he explained. “Here, I’m not in a constant state of hyper vigilance and stress, so I can be creative.”
Taking creative writing courses, Garcia first tried poetry.
Then he learned about a person in history whose story he’d never heard before. He immediately connected with the subject matter, sparking his interest in bringing her story to life.
His first fictional screenplay is based on Luisa, or Yuiza, depending on the source material. She was what’s known as a cacique, or leader, of a Taina tribe in the early 16th century in what today is Puerto Rico.
Many know her as the last Taina queen. To save her people, according to legend, she agreed to marry one of the conquistadors, but was killed by other tribal leaders in 1515, who saw the marriage as a betrayal. The town of Loiza is named in her honor.
Screenplay showcases Puerto Rico history, culture
“Luisa was a female chief of indigenous people in Puerto Rico (around the same time) as the conquistadors,” said Garcia. “I’m Puerto Rican and I’ve never seen a historical account of the indigenous people or their leaders (from that time).”
Fascinated by this strong female character, he was disappointed to find little information on her and her life. Still, he believes her story is important and needs to be told.
“I would love for (my screenplay) to be brought to the big screen so Puerto Rican children can see themselves represented,” Garcia said. “Almost every person who identifies as Puerto Rican is oblivious to their history.”
His screenplay was selected as one of the finalists for the San Quentin Film Festival (SQFF), being held Oct. 23-24 at the state’s oldest penitentiary.
>> Learn more about the 2025 film festival on their website.
“I’m grateful to the San Quentin Film Festival for selecting my screenplay,” Garcia said. “It’s a big deal, at least for me.”
The attention is a confidence booster, he said, fueling even more projects.
“I have a couple of ideas and am working on a five-to-six-episode television-style show, like streaming services offer,” he said. “But I don’t want to go into details on what those are.”
Story and photo by Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor
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