Film / News
Escaped pigs invade Bristol cinema
Everybody loves those stories of farm animals that make a bid for freedom – often on the way to the slaughterhouse. Back in 1998, a pair of pigs made headlines when they fled while being unloaded from a lorry at an abbatoir and swam to freedom across the River Avon. Dubbed the Tamworth Two, these porkers on the lam kept the tabloids in material for more than a week until they were eventually captured. The fugitive duo went on to enjoy life in an animal sanctuary, eventually living to a ripe old age.
When Pigs Escape, a new independent documentary, tells a more recent true story that also captured the public imagination. It’s the tale of Matilda, a pregnant sow who escaped from a Nottinghamshire farm to give birth to her ten piglets in a woodland area last year. A campaign was launched to save their bacon, and all the squealers were eventually rescued.
Matilda and her piglets
Jusep Moreno’s film tells the full story of Matilda’s escape and its aftermath. Following a successful premiere in Nottingham, When Pigs Escape gets a nationwide release through the Showcase cinema chain on Saturday 19 November. Locally, you can see it at the Bristol Showcase Cinema De Lux at 4pm. The screening also includes a pre-recorded Q&A with director/producer Jusep Moreno, which sets the story in the context of animal rights and veganism. Go here for tickets. A proportion of profits from ticket sales will go to Brinsley Animal Rescue and The Surge Sanctuary, the two animal sanctuaries that collaborated to save Matilda and her piglets.
is needed now More than ever
All images: Jesup Moreno
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