WLRN-TV Channel 17’s latest documentary — “The Creole Pig: Haiti’s Great Loss” — the story of an invaluable farm animal central to Haitian life for generations will premiere this month in South Florida.
The documentary will premiere on WLRN-TV Channel 17 on Thursday, Feb. 13, beginning at 9 p.m.
Indigenous to Haiti, the Creole pig was a critical resource for peasant farmers. However, in the 1980s, an outbreak of African swine flu, prompted USDA and the Haitian government to exterminate the entire population of Creole pigs. This drastic measure delivered a devastating economic blow to an already struggling nation.
READ MORE: The complex story of the Creole pig's significance to Haiti - and to its downfall
The documentary explores how this mass culling accelerated Haiti’s economic decline while examining the political and social fallout. Featuring interviews with farmers, economists, educators and political analysts, the film delves into Haiti’s history and politics to unpack the profound impact of this tragic event.
Director and co-producer Dudley Alexis, who grew up in Haiti and is a Miami-based filmmaker, told WLRN that the government's removal of pigs "took away the power of so many thousands of families in Haiti" because of its importance to the Haitian economy.
Said Alexis: "They took away their financial power. They took away the social power that came with it."
He also said he wanted to produce a documentary with as many Haitian voices as possible. “Doing this project I tried to be as authentic as possible [by] having actual farmers, Haitian politicians,” he said.
He says the documentary helps explain how Haiti’s struggling economy today can be traced to the loss of the pig so many decades ago. “Haiti hasn't been able to adapt to any new form of economy since the loss of the pig,” said Alexis.
IF YOU GO
What: “The Creole Pig: Haiti’s Great Loss” documentary
When: Thursday, Feb. 13, beginning at 9 p.m.
Where: WLRN-TV Channel 17
