🥋 How El Testigo Became Puerto Rico’s First Martial Arts Action Film

The Untold Story Behind a Low-Budget Breakthrough That Sparked an Action Cinema Movement

In 2010, a team of passionate filmmakers in Puerto Rico made history. Without a studio, without permits, and working with an extremely limited budget, they created El Testigo (The Witness), the island’s first-ever martial arts action film.

What began as a small idea—written and led by action performer Jose Manuel—grew into a cult indie project that laid the groundwork for local stunt filmmaking. But behind the kicks and rooftop fights was a trio that made it all happen: Andrés Ramírez, Gil Sanabria, and Jose himself.

Jose Manuel Describes How "the witness" movie came to be

✍️ The Vision: A Story Born from Passion

El Testigo was co-written and co-directed by Andrés Ramírez and Jose Manuel. Together, they shaped a story rooted in the streets of San Juan, blending martial arts action with the tone of a gritty urban thriller.

The plot follows Chelo, a humble supermarket worker who accidentally witnesses a mob killing. Suddenly pulled into a violent world, Chelo must rely on long-dormant martial arts skills to stay alive. It was a local story told through the universal language of action—and no one had ever attempted that in Puerto Rico before.

Ramírez’s role went beyond writing and directing—he also served as the film’s editor, helping piece together the final product from raw, often improvisational footage shot in unpredictable conditions.

💸 Making a Film with Almost Nothing

There was no budget to speak of. The film was shot guerrilla-style in real locations—rooftops, junkyards, backstreets—using natural light, minimal equipment, and a small, tight-knit crew. Every scene was planned around what they had access to in the moment.

It was a film driven not by money, but by momentum and movement.

"The Witness" El Testigo Full Behind The scenes

🥋 Building the Action: Gil Sanabria & Jose Manuel

While Jose Manuel played the lead role, he also served as the film’s Action Director and Designer. Drawing inspiration from Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, and early Hong Kong cinema, Jose tailored each fight to the environment—using props, space, and rhythm to create dynamic choreography under extreme limitations.

His co-star, Gil Sanabria, played a critical role as Fight Choreographer, working closely with Jose to craft the physical language of the film. Together, they rehearsed, refined, and executed each fight scene on the fly—often filming and performing under risky conditions, without pads or stunt doubles.

The action wasn’t just flashy—it was real. Hard falls, real strikes, and unforgiving terrain made every sequence an act of trust and physical storytelling.

🇵🇷 A First for Puerto Rico

When El Testigo was completed, it became the first full-length martial arts action film made in Puerto Rico. There had been dramas, comedies, and documentaries—but nothing that explored the world of stunts, hand-to-hand combat, or kinetic action in this way.

Its release might have been quiet, but it resonated. The film became proof that Puerto Rico could produce its own brand of action cinema—personal, gritty, and grounded.

🌍 From Local Rooftops to International Sets

After El Testigo, Jose Manuel continued to rise as an international action performer. His work has appeared in:

• The Man from Kathmandu (Nepal/US)

• Fist of the Condor (Chile, dir. Ernesto Díaz Espinoza)

• Lady Scorpions

• Kung Fu Games

But it all started with El Testigo—a project where the team had nothing but their skills, their will, and a shared belief that movement could tell a story.

💥 The Legacy

El Testigo wasn’t just a film. It was a statement: that Puerto Rican artists could create action cinema on their own terms.

It introduced audiences to the collaborative power of Jose Manuel’s action direction, Gil Sanabria’s choreography, and Andrés Ramírez’s storytelling and post-production vision. Together, they proved that you don’t need a greenlight—you need guts, grit, and good timing.

Written by swashbuckler studio

For more on the legacy of El Testigo and the evolution of Puerto Rican action cinema, follow @thesilentflute__