Fatima Seda-Barletta, Sardou's spokesperson, said during the promotional release of the film, "Liking or not liking this Spanish movie is a question of taste. Of being open minded enough to accept that Latins in the U.S. have come a long way from 'West Side Story' - Downward."
Director Frany Sardou had this to say about film: "For some time, there has been a need for a film which focuses on the issue of Puerto Ricans who suffer from drug addiction...The title "The Minutes and Hours", represents the minutes of ecstasy and the hours of agony that come with addiction."
Many notable figures attended the film's premiere, including Rodman Rockefeller, Elizabeth Sexauer, Mexican cinematographer Douglas Sandoval, Liz Torres, Miriam Colon, Bette Midler, and president of New York's Urban Coalition, Dr. Eugene Callender.