i am a shepherd a short documentary by Borja Zausen
Miguel is 11 years old and lives in Ses Olleries, just outside the little village of Santa Eugenia, in the middle of the mediterranean island of Mallorca. One day, when he was just four, Miguel asked his parents if they let him have a hen. And they did. Then came rabbits, parakeets, sheeps, hedgehogs, goats... A wonderful farm grew to the astonishment of his parents, Matthias, firefighter and Rosa, a schoolteacher from the neighboring town of Santa Maria. Now, he gets up every morning and before going to school, takes care of them all. That’s the worst thing they have, he says, “you have to feed them every day, every day” But he’s happy doing what he likes, because in his mind everything is clear. As he says, “the secret is that it has no secret”. He knows that to fulfill his dream to be a shepherd in this crazy world, he just have to “think and do the things right.” He loves each one of his animals. He feeds them and gives them death to sustain his family and friends, showing a clear and conscious awareness of death, talking about the importance of knowing what we eat and how it gets to our kitchen. He is the President of the Association of Peasant Children “... with my friends, we work the land a little. The objective is to hang out. We are children.” And that’s what he does. Consciously enjoying his childhood, knowing it is a very important step to become the committed adult he dreams to be. A contemporary winner. A local, simple hero. This is the story of a boy who thinks like a wise and experienced man. @borjazausen
“I like living in the village, but if I can choose, I prefer to live outside because there is more land and have more space to do what I do. In a city? not even crazy.�
“I am the president of an Association of Peasant Children. We work the land a little . The goal is to hang out. We are children.�
“I like animales. Don´t know why, but I like them. If you have to feed them, always do it at the same time. If you give them later, you fail them, and that´s not the way.“
”Whenever you eat an animal, the meat of that animal, you have to give it a value because the animal has died for you. And for that animal, dead it´s not funny at all”
“I am just a boy who likes the countryside. I think that everything we have it has been given by nature; everything has a natural part. If we kill nature, which is what keeps us alive, we will die. I think People who governs us do not have that in mind.“
“Sheeps do not give much milk but its enough, and I like it. Drink up this milk makes me happy because its from my sheeps.�
“I am Toni Palou´s friend. I love to be with him. if he teaches me what he knows, I’ll be able to teach a neighbor, my son, or whoever and they can teach someone else. It is important that knowledge is transmitted, so it is not lost “
“Whenever I can, I do what I want. If I’m out by the countryside even more. I like being independent. I like being myself.”
“If you want to be happy, you have to do what you like. You love something and think that it is impossible for you to do it; No, it’s not impossible, you have to try. And if you fail, try again. I am now happy.“
“To fulfill my dream, I have to do what I want and I am a person who has the record straight.“
i AM A SHEPHERD a short documentary by Borja Zausen
borjazausen.com