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If a pig could speak to us,
what would it say?
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I think about it all the time,
3
00:00:29,154 --> 00:00:30,781
even as an omnivore.
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Especially as an omnivore.
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I think a pig may have questions.
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"Why did you make us like this?
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We used to be wild animals.
8
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Now, we're a human creation.
9
00:00:49,842 --> 00:00:54,721
A recipe refined over 10,000 years
of slow simmering.
10
00:00:56,849 --> 00:01:00,143
We're different from the other animals
you've domesticated.
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We don't bear your burdens.
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We don't give you milk or fur
or rides across town.
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We don't do much...
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except feed you."
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But feed us they do.
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More than any other animal on the planet.
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Salted or smoked,
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simmered or seared,
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transformed into a million different
expressions of who we are.
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00:01:38,473 --> 00:01:41,018
In a quiet village in western Spain,
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00:01:41,727 --> 00:01:46,190
cast within a rolling sea of tiny shrubs
and ancient oaks,
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there lives one particular pig
that has a lot to say about this.
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His name is Antón.
24
00:01:55,949 --> 00:02:00,370
And his journey is unlike any other
in the animal world.
25
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The story of Antón says a lot about pigs
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but even more about us.
27
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Let's go.
28
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Get the pencils and the crayons
and go back to your seats.
29
00:04:10,375 --> 00:04:16,882
MONDAY, JUNE 13TH
30
00:04:16,882 --> 00:04:18,466
Do you know what day today is?
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- Monday.
- Monday. And what do we celebrate here?
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The pig of San Antón.
33
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Yes, the pig of San Antón.
And who is the pig of San Antón?
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00:04:27,684 --> 00:04:29,186
A little pig.
35
00:04:29,186 --> 00:04:31,647
A piggy. Very good. Yes.
36
00:04:31,647 --> 00:04:35,776
Now we will all draw the pig of San Antón.
37
00:04:38,737 --> 00:04:40,197
We start by drawing the nose.
38
00:04:44,076 --> 00:04:47,496
And now,
we are going to draw a little ear.
39
00:04:49,122 --> 00:04:51,458
A raised little ear.
40
00:04:51,458 --> 00:04:53,126
Every year,
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00:04:53,126 --> 00:04:57,881
the village of La Alberca
receives the gift of a pig.
42
00:04:58,465 --> 00:05:02,219
Not just any pig, but a cerdo ibérico,
43
00:05:02,219 --> 00:05:05,430
the famous black-footed pigs
of central Spain.
44
00:05:10,352 --> 00:05:13,856
The tradition of receiving a pig
stretches back centuries
45
00:05:13,856 --> 00:05:17,025
and once occurred all throughout Spain,
46
00:05:17,025 --> 00:05:19,903
where the pig was gifted
to the town's poor.
47
00:05:21,321 --> 00:05:25,993
{\an8}But today, it lives on only
in this very special corner of the world.
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00:05:31,665 --> 00:05:34,793
Dearly beloved,
may this animal whom we bless today
49
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be of help to us.
50
00:05:36,587 --> 00:05:41,091
And we, your servants,
shall look to the future with optimism.
51
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- Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
- Amen.
52
00:05:46,889 --> 00:05:49,933
The pig, always called Antón,
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00:05:49,933 --> 00:05:54,354
is named for Saint Anthony,
the patron saint of animals.
54
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After being blessed by the local priest,
Antón will wander the town freely,
55
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being fed and cared for by the villagers
56
00:06:04,823 --> 00:06:08,327
until the feast of Saint Antón
next January,
57
00:06:08,327 --> 00:06:11,246
when he will be raffled off
to a lucky winner.
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00:06:12,956 --> 00:06:18,629
But, for now, Antón explores his new home
and his new neighbors.
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00:06:18,629 --> 00:06:20,214
Come, handsome. Come.
60
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Come. Come.
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How handsome.
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You can eat it.
63
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Tastes so good, huh?
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00:06:39,316 --> 00:06:41,026
Tastes so good.
65
00:06:54,414 --> 00:06:57,376
Pigs are very curious animals.
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00:06:59,169 --> 00:07:01,880
They think with their stomachs,
but they are smart.
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They are able to guess and learn things,
68
00:07:05,634 --> 00:07:09,513
like how to come and go to get food.
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00:07:17,646 --> 00:07:19,356
Such a good breakfast.
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00:07:19,356 --> 00:07:21,358
- Do you want some coffee?
- Yes.
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00:07:21,859 --> 00:07:23,402
How is Antón doing?
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00:07:23,944 --> 00:07:27,698
I saw him yesterday in the town square.
He was around there.
73
00:07:28,365 --> 00:07:32,452
He's good. He gets used to it fast
when we all treat him well and feed him.
74
00:07:33,161 --> 00:07:37,207
People treat him well,
so he gets used to it quickly.
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00:07:38,125 --> 00:07:39,168
This ham is good.
76
00:07:41,587 --> 00:07:43,630
Pigs are sociable animals.
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00:07:43,630 --> 00:07:49,094
They are animals that are
as good of friends to humans as dogs.
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00:07:50,387 --> 00:07:53,390
In the end, they do give their lives
for the sake of humans.
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00:08:09,990 --> 00:08:14,536
I work in the world
of processing Iberian pork.
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00:08:16,663 --> 00:08:18,874
My company is Embutidos Fermín.
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00:08:22,586 --> 00:08:28,759
The story of Embutidos Fermín began
in the year 1956.
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00:08:29,843 --> 00:08:35,097
Our parents were very young,
and life was very difficult.
83
00:08:38,936 --> 00:08:42,856
The consequences of the postwar period
hit very hard here.
84
00:08:43,357 --> 00:08:46,568
The people of this land looked for
a way to survive,
85
00:08:46,568 --> 00:08:50,489
many of them by migrating abroad.
86
00:08:52,324 --> 00:08:54,952
My father had very strong ties
with this land
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00:08:54,952 --> 00:08:58,747
and refused to abandon his roots.
88
00:08:58,747 --> 00:09:03,210
And so, he fought to find something
that could support his family
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00:09:03,210 --> 00:09:06,088
to build a life in his hometown.
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00:09:08,340 --> 00:09:13,345
He started a butcher shop
along with a friend.
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00:09:13,846 --> 00:09:19,059
Neither had any clue about this world,
92
00:09:19,059 --> 00:09:23,814
and soon they realized that the butcher
shop couldn't provide for both families.
93
00:09:25,274 --> 00:09:28,110
So, they decided
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00:09:28,110 --> 00:09:31,405
that they would let fate decide
which family would keep the butcher shop.
95
00:09:34,908 --> 00:09:37,703
There was a long straw and a short straw,
96
00:09:37,703 --> 00:09:41,748
and whoever picked the long straw
got to keep the butcher shop.
97
00:09:42,374 --> 00:09:45,544
The one who didn't
would relocate to France.
98
00:09:46,837 --> 00:09:49,882
Both of them got their passports,
99
00:09:49,882 --> 00:09:52,676
and my dad grabbed the long straw.
100
00:09:54,678 --> 00:09:56,597
He got lucky and got the butcher shop.
101
00:10:02,186 --> 00:10:06,773
Together with my sister Paqui, we are
the second generation of this company.
102
00:10:06,773 --> 00:10:09,359
And the third generation
is working as well,
103
00:10:09,359 --> 00:10:12,029
since my daughter Soraya is
also part of it.
104
00:10:12,571 --> 00:10:14,281
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
105
00:10:14,281 --> 00:10:16,116
Could you sign this order
for Vima, please?
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00:10:16,116 --> 00:10:17,201
Yes.
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00:10:19,411 --> 00:10:21,705
We've developed the company,
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00:10:21,705 --> 00:10:25,918
and we've become Iberian pork ambassadors.
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Fermín has become a source of employment,
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an important one to this town.
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00:10:57,157 --> 00:11:00,744
An American butcher
might divide a pig into 12 pieces.
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00:11:01,328 --> 00:11:03,664
A Chinese butcher, maybe 18.
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00:11:04,540 --> 00:11:09,628
In Spain, a real butcher breaks down
a pig into 32 pieces.
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A mixture of prized specialty cuts
sold fresh,
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00:11:14,049 --> 00:11:18,846
and upwards of a dozen different pieces
that will be salted and cured
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00:11:18,846 --> 00:11:21,014
to stretch through the seasons.
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00:11:21,598 --> 00:11:25,769
It's an ancient craft
that conveys both respect and necessity,
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00:11:25,769 --> 00:11:30,691
born out of a 2,000-year-old tradition
of turning a single animal
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00:11:30,691 --> 00:11:32,484
into a year's worth of eating.
120
00:11:36,446 --> 00:11:40,200
As a diner,
I love pig for the same reasons you do.
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The tender threads of flesh.
122
00:11:43,036 --> 00:11:45,080
The crispy bits of fat.
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00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:49,418
The smoky, salty, savory notes
that make it so satisfying.
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As a chef,
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I love it because with pig
you can do just about anything.
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Charcuterie.
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00:12:00,053 --> 00:12:01,305
Barbecue.
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00:12:01,305 --> 00:12:02,890
Stews.
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00:12:03,390 --> 00:12:08,353
At noma, we even serve the crispy skin
dipped in chocolate for dessert.
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00:12:09,396 --> 00:12:10,522
For millennia,
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00:12:10,522 --> 00:12:15,652
cooks across the world have stamped
their cultures on its delicious flesh.
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00:12:15,652 --> 00:12:21,617
Here in La Alberca, there are more
pork recipes than there are villagers.
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The most representative element
of this province is the pig.
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00:12:28,624 --> 00:12:32,252
{\an8}It's one of the bases of the daily diet
of every family here.
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{\an8}We use every part of it.
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00:12:54,358 --> 00:12:57,277
We take everything from the pig,
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00:12:57,277 --> 00:13:01,281
the pancetta, the bacon,
the secreto, the lagarto.
138
00:13:01,281 --> 00:13:03,951
I don't know
which part of the pig is the best.
139
00:13:09,873 --> 00:13:12,876
The hornazo is a traditional product
of Salamanca province,
140
00:13:12,876 --> 00:13:17,881
prepared with the same dough
that normal bread is made with.
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00:13:28,642 --> 00:13:31,144
It also has olive oil, saffron,
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00:13:31,144 --> 00:13:35,023
and a little bit of pork fat.
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00:13:35,023 --> 00:13:38,569
This gives the dough a feeling
of fluffiness and softness.
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00:13:45,868 --> 00:13:50,664
That, plus the chorizo
and the loin from this region,
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00:13:50,664 --> 00:13:54,626
from the amazing pigs we have here,
especially in La Alberca,
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makes a majestic and perfect dough.
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00:15:16,375 --> 00:15:21,046
Faithful Christians, let us remember the
death of the blessed souls in Purgatory
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00:15:21,046 --> 00:15:24,675
with an Our Father and a Hail Mary
for the love of God.
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00:15:27,761 --> 00:15:31,431
One more Our Father and one more
Hail Mary for those who are in mortal sin,
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00:15:31,431 --> 00:15:34,726
may His Divine Majesty take them
out of such miserable condition.
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00:15:43,569 --> 00:15:45,988
The nightly incantations are meant
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00:15:45,988 --> 00:15:49,366
to keep the evil spirits at bay
from the village.
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00:15:49,908 --> 00:15:53,203
One more Our Father and one more Hail Mary
for those who are in mortal sin,
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00:15:53,203 --> 00:15:56,540
may your Divine Majesty take them
out of such miserable condition.
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00:15:58,834 --> 00:16:02,713
There may indeed be a few ghosts
hovering about the cobblestones.
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The ghosts of Antóns from centuries past,
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00:16:08,260 --> 00:16:11,597
back when the pig wasn't
a gift to the town's poor
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00:16:12,681 --> 00:16:16,894
but a tool for the Inquisition
to determine whether Muslims and Jews,
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00:16:17,561 --> 00:16:20,606
forbidden by their religion
from eating the animal,
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00:16:20,606 --> 00:16:23,567
had truly converted to Catholicism.
161
00:16:25,736 --> 00:16:30,073
Why do you think so many dishes in Spain
are laden with pork?
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00:17:51,363 --> 00:17:54,783
My job at the city council is
to preserve this tradition.
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00:17:54,783 --> 00:17:59,621
And this year I took on the responsibility
of being his caretaker.
164
00:18:02,207 --> 00:18:03,542
How are you, darling?
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00:18:05,127 --> 00:18:06,670
Wake up. It is time.
166
00:18:09,631 --> 00:18:10,883
Hello, love!
167
00:18:11,633 --> 00:18:12,926
How are you, my dear?
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00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,972
I remember that on the first day,
he did what he wanted, of course.
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00:18:17,639 --> 00:18:20,642
He wanted to go in one direction,
and I wanted him to go in another.
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00:18:21,768 --> 00:18:25,564
Let's get rid of those bugs.
Yes, darling. Let's go.
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00:18:25,564 --> 00:18:27,774
I remember how our eyes locked.
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00:18:28,901 --> 00:18:31,028
We looked at each other thinking,
"What do we do?"
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00:18:32,112 --> 00:18:34,198
I thought, "Either you win or I do."
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00:18:34,198 --> 00:18:36,992
Let's leave. Let's go.
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00:18:36,992 --> 00:18:39,620
Since we had reached an impasse,
I gave him a candy.
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00:18:40,412 --> 00:18:41,872
So, I gave him a sweet tooth.
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00:18:44,625 --> 00:18:45,959
What is it?
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00:18:46,502 --> 00:18:50,547
Come on, run. Let's go. Run.
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00:18:54,051 --> 00:18:57,054
There is a certain connection
between the pig and me.
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00:18:57,971 --> 00:19:00,057
Let's go, love. Run.
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00:19:09,858 --> 00:19:11,902
Go, go, go, go, go!
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00:19:13,612 --> 00:19:15,072
Where are you off to?
183
00:19:15,822 --> 00:19:17,407
Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!
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00:19:19,910 --> 00:19:21,161
Oh, you.
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00:19:24,331 --> 00:19:27,543
If a pig could speak,
what would it tell us?
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00:19:30,379 --> 00:19:32,422
I think it might have a lot to say.
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00:19:33,215 --> 00:19:34,216
About us...
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00:19:36,635 --> 00:19:38,303
and the things we've gotten wrong.
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00:19:42,724 --> 00:19:45,519
"'You're as dumb as a pig,' you say.
190
00:19:48,272 --> 00:19:50,315
But we beat monkeys and dogs
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00:19:50,315 --> 00:19:53,151
and other smart animals
in tests all the time."
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00:19:53,151 --> 00:19:55,612
- This year we had plenty of acorns.
- Aye, yes, plenty.
193
00:19:55,612 --> 00:19:58,115
- They have all fallen to the ground. Yes.
- Yes.
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00:19:59,074 --> 00:20:03,203
"We're clever, intuitive,
highly social creatures.
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00:20:05,122 --> 00:20:08,625
'You're as dirty as a pig,'
you like to say.
196
00:20:09,418 --> 00:20:13,630
You stick us in a sty
and then blame us for being dirty.
197
00:20:15,340 --> 00:20:16,925
'You are a pig.'
198
00:20:17,426 --> 00:20:19,887
How did that become the ultimate insult?
199
00:20:21,180 --> 00:20:24,266
After all, we share most of your DNA."
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00:20:27,519 --> 00:20:29,188
Automatic and remote-controlled.
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00:20:29,188 --> 00:20:30,814
- Sure.
- For next time.
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00:20:30,814 --> 00:20:33,317
When we get electricity, we will.
203
00:20:34,109 --> 00:20:35,360
After you.
204
00:20:37,696 --> 00:20:41,658
We should take a closer look
to see if they're finished.
205
00:20:42,159 --> 00:20:45,245
They may be heavy enough,
but I'm not sure they're finished.
206
00:20:45,245 --> 00:20:47,789
No, some of them aren't.
207
00:20:47,789 --> 00:20:50,209
These are eating only acorns?
208
00:20:50,209 --> 00:20:51,293
Yes.
209
00:20:57,090 --> 00:21:00,886
The cerdo ibéricos
that roam freely on the Fermín farm
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00:21:01,845 --> 00:21:07,142
live like few other domesticated animals,
let alone other pigs.
211
00:21:07,726 --> 00:21:13,273
Each of the 1,500 animals has
500 square meters of open space.
212
00:21:13,982 --> 00:21:18,237
An industrial pig, by comparison,
survives on just one.
213
00:21:20,697 --> 00:21:23,617
It's here, throughout the fall,
214
00:21:23,617 --> 00:21:27,454
where one of nature's
most lavish feasts unfolds.
215
00:21:28,413 --> 00:21:29,873
La Montanera.
216
00:21:30,457 --> 00:21:34,586
A buffet of fallen acorns that
will more than double the pigs' weight
217
00:21:34,586 --> 00:21:36,004
before the winter sets in.
218
00:21:38,507 --> 00:21:44,638
The resulting fat, sweet and nutty,
runs like rivers through the pigs' flesh,
219
00:21:45,264 --> 00:21:48,684
making it one of the most
prized ingredients on the planet.
220
00:21:53,564 --> 00:21:57,109
They do nothing but eat,
sleep, and enjoy life.
221
00:21:58,068 --> 00:22:03,907
It's something so simple and natural,
and we do very little to make them good.
222
00:22:05,117 --> 00:22:08,203
All of the credit goes to the pig.
223
00:22:16,545 --> 00:22:20,048
{\an8}I have a lot of enthusiasm for the pig.
224
00:22:22,634 --> 00:22:25,053
I make traditional sweets.
225
00:22:25,053 --> 00:22:30,225
I like to do many things in honor of
the traditions of my native land.
226
00:22:30,809 --> 00:22:35,522
So, sometimes, I make creations
inspired by the pig of San Antón.
227
00:22:36,190 --> 00:22:39,026
For example, the chocolate piglet,
228
00:22:39,026 --> 00:22:41,111
floretas, sausages
229
00:22:41,111 --> 00:22:44,114
and the chocolate nougat with ham.
230
00:22:51,747 --> 00:22:55,000
When it passes by my bakery,
sometimes I give him a piece of bread,
231
00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,503
which I think is the healthiest for a pig.
232
00:22:57,503 --> 00:22:59,838
But sometimes I do give him a sweet.
233
00:23:00,881 --> 00:23:04,885
One year I was making macarons,
a French confection.
234
00:23:05,636 --> 00:23:08,472
I gave him one,
and he wanted to take the bag.
235
00:23:08,472 --> 00:23:11,183
He wanted the whole bag,
so I had to give it to him.
236
00:23:11,183 --> 00:23:13,644
The men and the visitors passing by
on the street asked me,
237
00:23:13,644 --> 00:23:15,437
"What is it eating?"
238
00:23:15,437 --> 00:23:16,939
I said, "Macarons!"
239
00:23:18,065 --> 00:23:20,317
And the pig began to eat
the sweets from the shelf.
240
00:23:20,317 --> 00:23:21,944
It ate all it could.
241
00:23:21,944 --> 00:23:25,447
The pig spoiled everything on the shelf
while I laughed.
242
00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:35,332
I always identify the pig with my town,
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00:23:36,041 --> 00:23:38,710
the value of my people and our customs.
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00:23:53,934 --> 00:23:55,519
Shall we go find the piglet?
245
00:23:55,519 --> 00:23:58,772
{\an8}- Yes, the piglet.
- To the piglet.
246
00:23:59,481 --> 00:24:02,651
{\an8}It's not here. Where is he?
We have to look for him.
247
00:24:02,651 --> 00:24:04,945
It's not here. He's hiding!
248
00:24:04,945 --> 00:24:06,697
It's hiding?
249
00:24:06,697 --> 00:24:09,241
From whom is he hiding?
From the big bad wolf?
250
00:24:09,241 --> 00:24:11,743
Do you know what piglet we're looking for?
251
00:24:12,244 --> 00:24:14,121
- Antón!
- Antón.
252
00:24:14,121 --> 00:24:15,247
Antón!
253
00:24:20,085 --> 00:24:23,463
When you think about it, it's not normal
to have a pig roaming the streets,
254
00:24:23,463 --> 00:24:27,176
and yet to us,
it's a completely normal occurrence.
255
00:24:29,178 --> 00:24:34,600
As a child you see it down the street,
you chase it and feed it snacks.
256
00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:38,604
"A pig lives in my town.
There isn't one in yours?"
257
00:24:42,232 --> 00:24:44,359
He has a bell.
Have you seen the bell he has?
258
00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:45,444
Yes.
259
00:24:46,195 --> 00:24:48,822
When he was walking, the bell would sound,
260
00:24:48,822 --> 00:24:52,326
and the people knew he was there,
they knew they had to feed him.
261
00:24:52,326 --> 00:24:55,204
He doesn't have ears.
262
00:24:55,704 --> 00:24:57,789
He doesn't have ears?
He has really big ears.
263
00:25:00,709 --> 00:25:02,461
The tradition is very old,
264
00:25:02,461 --> 00:25:05,923
but it was lost for several years
until my grandfather began it again
265
00:25:05,923 --> 00:25:10,761
as an attempt to help
whichever family had a tragedy that year,
266
00:25:10,761 --> 00:25:13,347
one that didn't have money to eat,
or any other problem.
267
00:25:13,847 --> 00:25:16,016
Because you can eat every part of the pig,
268
00:25:16,016 --> 00:25:19,728
getting a pig meant
you would have food for the entire year.
269
00:25:19,728 --> 00:25:21,480
He's looking for his grandpa.
270
00:25:23,607 --> 00:25:26,026
- Hello.
- Hello.
271
00:25:29,196 --> 00:25:33,992
My father advocated
for the revival of this tradition.
272
00:25:33,992 --> 00:25:35,869
Come, give me your hand.
273
00:25:36,870 --> 00:25:38,830
When my parents were married
but still very young,
274
00:25:38,830 --> 00:25:40,290
their house burned down.
275
00:25:40,290 --> 00:25:42,334
They were left in the street with nothing,
276
00:25:43,794 --> 00:25:46,922
and they experienced the generosity
of the town firsthand.
277
00:25:46,922 --> 00:25:50,968
People helped them and gave them clothing,
found them a house to live in,
278
00:25:50,968 --> 00:25:55,347
provided food and everything they needed
to start from scratch.
279
00:25:57,182 --> 00:25:58,809
The piglet!
280
00:25:58,809 --> 00:26:00,435
How does the piglet do?
281
00:26:02,521 --> 00:26:03,689
You don't know.
282
00:26:03,689 --> 00:26:06,942
No, I don't know. How does it do?
283
00:26:06,942 --> 00:26:09,236
- Ah, you do know.
- Yes.
284
00:26:10,195 --> 00:26:12,573
Look, Santi, this is where Grandpa lived
when he was little.
285
00:26:14,616 --> 00:26:19,913
{\an8}We lived here for about 25 years,
286
00:26:20,414 --> 00:26:24,710
using the same building for the house
287
00:26:26,503 --> 00:26:28,046
and the store.
288
00:26:28,922 --> 00:26:32,134
That window was my room.
That's where I slept.
289
00:26:32,134 --> 00:26:34,845
- We used to kill the pigs on the street.
- On the streets?
290
00:26:34,845 --> 00:26:36,138
Here.
291
00:26:36,138 --> 00:26:41,810
And then we brought them inside
where we processed and divided them.
292
00:26:45,439 --> 00:26:48,525
I have always been connected to them.
293
00:26:48,525 --> 00:26:52,696
Animals are part of the town life
and they are part of our life too.
294
00:26:53,614 --> 00:26:55,365
- Antón!
- Antón!
295
00:26:56,283 --> 00:26:57,451
Where are you?
296
00:26:59,661 --> 00:27:03,332
Now the pig is raffled,
but it retains its purpose.
297
00:27:04,875 --> 00:27:10,506
That feeling of helping others,
of coming together as a town,
298
00:27:10,506 --> 00:27:13,509
it is a small gesture,
but it is something symbolic.
299
00:27:13,509 --> 00:27:16,720
It is just a pig,
but we're going to do something together.
300
00:27:22,392 --> 00:27:24,478
I don't like to use the phrase "to kill."
301
00:27:25,354 --> 00:27:28,440
"To sacrifice" may sound harsher
than "to kill" to some,
302
00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:31,652
but to me it actually sounds softer.
303
00:27:38,075 --> 00:27:40,035
If I could go back in time,
304
00:27:40,035 --> 00:27:42,955
I would probably not sacrifice animals
for a living.
305
00:27:43,956 --> 00:27:45,415
I don't really like it.
306
00:27:45,415 --> 00:27:49,253
It is what it is. It is the life I got.
307
00:27:50,671 --> 00:27:54,466
Someone has to do it. After all,
we depend on them for our food.
308
00:27:55,717 --> 00:28:00,681
We do our best to slaughter them
in the most dignified way
309
00:28:00,681 --> 00:28:02,975
so that they suffer as little as possible.
310
00:28:15,487 --> 00:28:17,155
Death happens.
311
00:28:17,656 --> 00:28:20,033
It's one of few certainties in life.
312
00:28:21,994 --> 00:28:23,704
But how a pig dies
313
00:28:24,538 --> 00:28:25,956
and how it lives
314
00:28:26,665 --> 00:28:28,625
says something about us.
315
00:28:31,378 --> 00:28:36,633
Death in Fermín is as quick and as humane
as the end can be.
316
00:28:38,677 --> 00:28:43,807
Elsewhere, in the mega factories
that process thousands of pigs a day,
317
00:28:43,807 --> 00:28:46,310
well, that's another story.
318
00:28:47,686 --> 00:28:50,355
We live in a world
where it's easy to look away.
319
00:28:51,064 --> 00:28:53,859
But maybe we shouldn't. Not always.
320
00:28:56,361 --> 00:28:58,864
It's uncomfortable to see an animal die.
321
00:28:59,615 --> 00:29:02,701
Who wants to think about death
over eggs and bacon?
322
00:29:04,286 --> 00:29:06,622
But perhaps confronting reality
323
00:29:06,622 --> 00:29:10,125
is one of the ways to appreciate
where our food comes from.
324
00:29:14,463 --> 00:29:16,840
One essential thing we can do,
325
00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,426
regardless of how
the animals lived or died,
326
00:29:20,219 --> 00:29:23,388
is to cook and eat everything.
327
00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:39,738
And few people do that better
than the Spaniards.
328
00:29:58,215 --> 00:30:00,467
Salt and time.
329
00:30:01,426 --> 00:30:03,887
A recipe as old as cooking.
330
00:30:05,389 --> 00:30:08,433
At its best, it's pure alchemy.
331
00:30:09,017 --> 00:30:12,646
A method for extending the life
and intensifying the flavor
332
00:30:12,646 --> 00:30:14,523
of a volatile ingredient.
333
00:30:17,734 --> 00:30:20,821
The Iberians are ancient experts of salt,
334
00:30:21,613 --> 00:30:24,324
and pork is their masterpiece.
335
00:30:25,534 --> 00:30:31,999
Jamón ibérico de bellota spends six weeks
buried in a mountain of coarse salt.
336
00:30:33,041 --> 00:30:36,879
Then it's hung in a giant aging room
with thousands of other legs
337
00:30:36,879 --> 00:30:38,589
for at least three years.
338
00:30:59,234 --> 00:31:02,571
Over time, the salt continues to work,
339
00:31:02,571 --> 00:31:06,992
pulling out the moisture in the flesh
and concentrating the flavor of the jamón.
340
00:31:09,036 --> 00:31:14,374
This room, this magical jamón room,
is the real church in Spain.
341
00:31:23,258 --> 00:31:26,887
At the end of the road,
you have something extraordinary.
342
00:31:26,887 --> 00:31:31,475
A concentrated bite of brilliance
that honors the life behind it.
343
00:31:44,905 --> 00:31:48,659
From the time the pig is born,
until the ham gets to the table,
344
00:31:48,659 --> 00:31:50,661
it passes through many different hands.
345
00:31:55,457 --> 00:31:59,670
And us, the cutters,
we are the last step of that great chain.
346
00:31:59,670 --> 00:32:03,757
With our cut, we can totally ruin the work
347
00:32:03,757 --> 00:32:06,969
of a great number of people
who are behind it.
348
00:32:15,018 --> 00:32:20,399
In the tasting and sampling of a ham,
the cut is 50% of its success.
349
00:32:41,420 --> 00:32:43,547
- Do you know what this is used for?
- What is it?
350
00:32:43,547 --> 00:32:45,841
It's to do this.
351
00:32:47,050 --> 00:32:48,510
Look, look.
352
00:32:51,847 --> 00:32:54,808
It is so easy. Now it is your turn, kiddo.
353
00:32:54,808 --> 00:32:56,268
With both hands.
354
00:32:58,729 --> 00:33:00,063
What is it for?
355
00:33:00,606 --> 00:33:04,067
This thing blows air
so that the fire gets started.
356
00:33:04,568 --> 00:33:07,070
This way. Very good!
357
00:33:09,072 --> 00:33:10,616
Look at how it now burns.
358
00:33:11,366 --> 00:33:13,535
We will stay warm.
359
00:33:15,579 --> 00:33:18,790
When I finished high school,
360
00:33:19,541 --> 00:33:22,669
I was not planning on staying
in the company.
361
00:33:23,170 --> 00:33:24,171
Not at all.
362
00:33:25,005 --> 00:33:28,300
I studied medicine
and graduated in the year 1983.
363
00:33:28,300 --> 00:33:33,013
But fate, luck-- bad or good luck,
364
00:33:33,013 --> 00:33:34,806
I don't know, life,
365
00:33:34,806 --> 00:33:37,893
wanted my dad to have a stroke.
366
00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:40,395
Come, so that she can sit here.
367
00:33:41,355 --> 00:33:42,940
Say "hello" to the baby.
368
00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:45,108
He has the hiccups.
369
00:33:45,108 --> 00:33:47,528
I felt the responsibility
to help my father,
370
00:33:47,528 --> 00:33:50,948
and you don't realize
that the sum of all those days
371
00:33:50,948 --> 00:33:54,117
where you were doing what you thought
you needed to do take you down a path.
372
00:33:56,119 --> 00:33:59,623
I cannot remember ever having decided
373
00:33:59,623 --> 00:34:02,334
or making an actual decision to stay here.
374
00:34:02,334 --> 00:34:04,044
But life led me here.
375
00:34:15,429 --> 00:34:17,808
I practiced as a physician
for three years,
376
00:34:17,808 --> 00:34:20,811
and when I stopped
and started staying here,
377
00:34:21,895 --> 00:34:23,313
I did not miss it.
378
00:34:23,813 --> 00:34:26,275
It was like this fulfilled me.
379
00:34:26,859 --> 00:34:30,654
I studied to cure people
and ended up curing hams.
380
00:34:32,197 --> 00:34:36,577
But it's also true that I learned
to cure hams first,
381
00:34:36,577 --> 00:34:39,996
with my dad when I was young.
When I was a kid.
382
00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:48,755
I had always lived in the business,
and it's something you carry inside.
383
00:34:51,175 --> 00:34:57,723
His name was Fermín.
I think we've taken the name far.
384
00:34:59,808 --> 00:35:01,643
Who's eating meat?
385
00:35:02,561 --> 00:35:04,229
So delicious!
386
00:35:04,229 --> 00:35:07,024
We have gone to Japan,
we have gone to China,
387
00:35:07,024 --> 00:35:09,109
we have gone to the United States.
388
00:35:10,319 --> 00:35:17,075
In that sense, I think he would be proud
of seeing his name all around the world.
389
00:35:17,075 --> 00:35:20,579
To good health,
to those present and absent.
390
00:35:34,676 --> 00:35:40,307
{\an8}I come from a family that
learned to use everything that we had.
391
00:35:42,184 --> 00:35:46,522
Here we all are used to the cochifrito,
the pieces of the pig that are left.
392
00:35:47,022 --> 00:35:48,190
Everything that is left over.
393
00:35:51,318 --> 00:35:54,696
Anyone who goes to your house can eat
when there's a pig.
394
00:36:04,414 --> 00:36:08,544
The serrano lemon
is a traditional dish from La Alberca.
395
00:36:08,544 --> 00:36:14,341
I love it because it's curious
how opposite it is.
396
00:36:16,510 --> 00:36:19,930
We are in a town above 1,000 meters
in altitude, oriented to the north,
397
00:36:19,930 --> 00:36:21,890
and we don't have lemons or oranges.
398
00:36:21,890 --> 00:36:24,434
Yet our traditional dish
uses lemons and oranges.
399
00:36:27,479 --> 00:36:31,692
I imagine it has to do
with the trade we did with other places.
400
00:36:42,327 --> 00:36:44,246
La Alberca has not been marked
by a single history,
401
00:36:44,246 --> 00:36:48,208
but rather by the history
of every Albercano that has lived here.
402
00:36:49,543 --> 00:36:50,878
Hi.
403
00:36:50,878 --> 00:36:51,962
Hi, guys.
404
00:36:53,672 --> 00:36:55,257
- How are you?
- Good.
405
00:36:55,841 --> 00:36:57,009
And you?
406
00:36:57,009 --> 00:36:58,677
- Good.
- Really good?
407
00:36:59,261 --> 00:37:00,679
All right, love. How are you?
408
00:37:00,679 --> 00:37:05,893
This year, I noticed
I had a lump on my breast
409
00:37:05,893 --> 00:37:07,561
and had some tests done.
410
00:37:08,729 --> 00:37:10,689
They detected cancer.
411
00:37:11,190 --> 00:37:17,154
Advanced cancer no less,
of the fourth stage.
412
00:37:18,864 --> 00:37:20,991
Here you go. Help yourself to a little.
413
00:37:23,118 --> 00:37:24,703
Try the cochifrito.
414
00:37:25,621 --> 00:37:27,748
Do you prefer the little tail,
or do you prefer this?
415
00:37:32,252 --> 00:37:34,296
As always, no sauce.
416
00:37:34,838 --> 00:37:37,966
I don't understand a man that likes
the bread, but doesn't like the sauce.
417
00:37:37,966 --> 00:37:39,092
This is contradictory.
418
00:37:41,595 --> 00:37:44,515
One day, I was really tired
after my chemo,
419
00:37:44,515 --> 00:37:46,975
but the doctors told me
that I had to walk.
420
00:37:46,975 --> 00:37:48,769
So I took the San Antón pig for a walk.
421
00:37:50,062 --> 00:37:53,148
I did the same every day.
422
00:37:53,148 --> 00:37:57,361
We began our daily walk, but at some point
I got so tired that I sat on a stoop.
423
00:37:59,279 --> 00:38:04,701
Fifteen minutes later, I realised the pig
had turned around and was now by my side.
424
00:38:04,701 --> 00:38:06,078
Hello, my dear.
425
00:38:07,204 --> 00:38:09,456
What do you want? Should we go?
426
00:38:10,832 --> 00:38:13,293
Do you want to leave? Come, run!
427
00:38:14,169 --> 00:38:17,339
Animals are conscious of everything.
428
00:38:17,339 --> 00:38:19,633
If he takes it as something good or bad,
I don't know,
429
00:38:19,633 --> 00:38:21,969
but it's something he notices.
430
00:38:24,596 --> 00:38:29,643
The festival of the San Antón pig
will be emotional, but not sad.
431
00:38:30,477 --> 00:38:34,606
We know this is what it is.
We know this is our tradition.
432
00:38:35,774 --> 00:38:40,362
This was a beautiful experience
that I will keep for myself.
433
00:38:40,362 --> 00:38:42,072
I have learned a lot from him.
434
00:38:43,323 --> 00:38:44,658
There you go.
435
00:38:45,993 --> 00:38:48,245
Both in life and death,
436
00:38:48,245 --> 00:38:53,208
I think that at some point
it's your turn to be born and to die.
437
00:38:54,835 --> 00:38:58,297
You have to live life,
it's why we're here.
438
00:38:58,297 --> 00:39:00,674
There's no more rhyme or reason.
439
00:39:11,351 --> 00:39:14,479
I don't know if animals have souls or not,
440
00:39:14,479 --> 00:39:19,193
but I would almost dare to say
that they might.
441
00:39:20,444 --> 00:39:26,909
They have something, because of
the way they interact with people.
442
00:39:28,368 --> 00:39:32,831
After they die,
we keep them in our memories.
443
00:39:34,833 --> 00:39:37,836
That's why we have a saying that goes,
444
00:39:38,420 --> 00:39:41,757
"San Antón day comes for every pig."
445
00:39:45,052 --> 00:39:48,639
If I ever win the pig
at the raffle of San Antón,
446
00:39:48,639 --> 00:39:52,559
I'll bring it here
and keep it until it dies.
447
00:39:54,353 --> 00:39:59,858
I have a lot of affection and respect
for the San Antón pig.
448
00:40:00,359 --> 00:40:04,238
I have devoted myself to it.
I owe a lot to the pig.
449
00:40:46,405 --> 00:40:50,367
After seven months,
Antón's big day has finally arrived.
450
00:40:51,743 --> 00:40:56,456
Villagers pour into the plaza
for La Alberca's most famous pig.
451
00:40:58,250 --> 00:41:02,254
The San Antón Pig tradition has been
a display of solidarity
452
00:41:02,754 --> 00:41:05,966
throughout the centuries,
and most of all, in these times.
453
00:41:06,550 --> 00:41:10,345
The festival honors the village tradition
of slaughtering pigs.
454
00:41:12,139 --> 00:41:15,517
It's a day of festivities
that ends in a raffle.
455
00:41:18,478 --> 00:41:21,732
The winner will decide Antón's fate.
456
00:41:23,192 --> 00:41:25,736
But, for the residents of La Alberca,
457
00:41:26,236 --> 00:41:29,281
the sense of celebration
and sacrifice remains.
458
00:41:29,281 --> 00:41:33,160
Thank you so much
for helping uphold this tradition.
459
00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:35,120
This is what defines us.
460
00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:37,414
And this is what makes us
unique to the world.
461
00:41:38,123 --> 00:41:40,542
Grateful for the food and attention,
462
00:41:41,084 --> 00:41:45,839
Antón has been blissfully unaware
of the other side of the bargain.
463
00:41:46,465 --> 00:41:47,466
Until today.
464
00:41:57,768 --> 00:41:59,686
Maybe it's the crackle in the air.
465
00:42:01,647 --> 00:42:06,068
Maybe it's the plethora of pork
being devoured across the village.
466
00:42:13,075 --> 00:42:14,409
Maybe it's the crowd.
467
00:42:15,202 --> 00:42:18,664
Hundreds of humans anxiously awaiting
the winning raffle number.
468
00:42:23,377 --> 00:42:26,505
Now's the time! Time for the raffle!
469
00:42:26,505 --> 00:42:29,633
Everyone, have your tickets on hand.
Let's see who gets lucky!
470
00:42:31,426 --> 00:42:36,139
Or maybe this is the year
Antón might be saved.
471
00:42:37,182 --> 00:42:40,602
4584.
472
00:42:44,690 --> 00:42:48,360
If Antón could speak,
here on his last day,
473
00:42:49,111 --> 00:42:50,404
what would he say?
474
00:42:51,196 --> 00:42:53,073
He might say something like this,
475
00:42:54,825 --> 00:42:58,704
"You and me,
we're more alike than you think.
476
00:42:59,621 --> 00:43:02,958
I don't choose how I die. Neither do you.
477
00:43:03,750 --> 00:43:05,669
But I don't choose how I live either.
478
00:43:07,045 --> 00:43:12,801
I don't ask for much,
but if I could, I'd only ask this,
479
00:43:14,052 --> 00:43:16,013
'let it be a decent life.'"