It’s been fifteen years since actor Jose Manuel hit the streets of Puerto Rico to bring the country its first-ever martial arts action thriller, The Witness (El Testigo). Manuel is now overseeing the film’s 4K restoration along with an official trailer to steer the film’s anniversarial legacy.
Directed by Andres Ramirez from a script he penned with Manuel, The Witness tells the story of Chelo, a quiet martial artist from a small Puerto Rican town who witnesses a brazen crime committed in broad daylight. His life spirals out of control as the murderers frame him for the very act he tried to stop. With his girlfriend abducted and both the criminals and police on his tail, Chelo must use every ounce of strength and skill to survive, rescue the woman he loves, and prove his innocence. Rounding out the cast are Melissa Serrano Flores, Jorge Antares, and Raymond Pagán, along with FCSyndicate favorites Ángel Vázquez and Gil Sanabria.
The guerilla production was shot entirely in Puerto Rico using a Canon 7D and only two lenses, and billed as one of the island’s earliest independent martial arts action films; Despite its ultra-low budget, it premiered in 13 commercial theaters across Puerto Rico, setting a new precedent for a feat of its kind. The trailer was printed in 35mm and screened during the industry’s transition from analog to digital projection, placing The Witness at the intersection of eras and cementing its pioneer status.
This critic hadn’t known anything about Manuel prior to discovering his practice fight action content on YouTube, which prompted me to network with him right then. That was when The Witness finally came on my radar, long after its awarded reception at the Action On Film and the SoHo International Film Festival events, followed by its subsequent release on DVD in 2013.
For this, I was only able to see the film courtesy of Manuel back in 2015 before constituting my own review that year, much to my delight. Manuel also directed the action scenes and setpieces, with Sanabria shepherding fight choreography and contributing plentily to the story and the stakes as the film pits Chelo against Sanabria’s role as a relentless henchman fueled by his own criminal aspirations. It’s a rivalry that brings substance to the kind of mythmaking in The Witness that it also gives me knowing that this film has a possible future with ideas for a sequel that Manuel is currently tinkering with at the moment.
To what degree? Well, that’s a mystery even for me at the moment. It does help that there is a renewed interest in The Witness though. It’s a modern classic as good as other headlining low-budget indies stirring the niche with faves like Merantau, Contour and Die Fighting to mame a few. With any luck, festival audiences out here in the West and abroad will finally get to bear witness themselves in the months ahead. And in 4K no less!
Film Combat Syndicate is proudly presenting an exclusive look at the new official trailer in the meantime. Check it out below!
