We Already Won

Curaçao may be a small island of 158,000 residents, but Curaçaoans have an outsize impact in New York.

Here, the diaspora gathers the same way it does back home: friends, cousins, neighbors, friends of friends. Everyone knows someone who knows someone. One island. One family.

Curaçao is a place shaped by movement. A crossroads of the Caribbean where languages, cultures, and histories have blended into something uniquely its own. That mix isn't just its history, it's its identity.

Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup was bigger than football. It means being recognized. Being seen.

Their tournament may be over. But for Curaçao fans, this was never a story of defeat. They already won.

Produced & Directed by Michael Premo, Rachel Falcone, Jean-Michel Dissard

Cinematography by Michael Premo, Desta Mutisya

Sound by Rachel Falcone

Editing by Edgar Andrade

Colored by Michael Premo

Color Consultancy by Sodalite Color

A Storyline series.

We are Public Artists in Residence for New York City’s celebration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The residency is coordinated through the NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs in partnership with NYC Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani.