Film / News
Ground-breaking guinea pig documentary to be shown in Bristol
Who doesn’t love guinea pigs, eh? Apart, perhaps, from those who choose to scoff the adorable little squeakers. And they’re also featured in The Keepers of the Pigs – the first major documentary about these ever-popular rodents.
The film follows the adventures of director Sharon Walia and rescue centre owner Shaz Kelly on their fact-finding journey from the UK to Peru.
The documentary came about after freelance journalist Sharon filmed a news report about a local guinea pig rescue in the midlands, which subsequently went viral. She then juggled her jobs as a journalist and in parliament to make the film, travelling to South America in between lockdowns and returning to edit the footage at home in the evenings.
Director Sharon Walia and rescue centre owner Shaz Kelly
“As an animal lover and vegan, filming people eating guinea pigs was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” says Sharon. “But never have I been to a country that celebrates an animal like Peru does the guinea pig.”
Inca women judging a guinea pig competition
The film includes footage of Peru’s annual guinea pig festival, which has never been filmed before. It also tells the story of a man who was buried in a guinea pig inspired coffin and explores the work of the UK’s two biggest guinea pig sanctuaries.
Supported by PETA, Blue Cross and the Guinea Pig Magazine, The Keepers of the Pigs is screened at the Bristol Showcase Cinema De Lux on Friday 10 and Sunday 12 November. Go here for tickets.
All images: Move Over Productions
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