Traditions

The film documents the traditional way of Pig slaughtering in a small village in Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region in the north of Italy where I come from. The video is divided into 8 stages, depending on the theme and the time.
First the pig is killed in the stable with a specific pistol. In the second stage, it is exsanguinated, usually via the carotid artery and the jugular vein and the blood is taken to make the black pudding later on. Then the carcass is drensched in hot water, to remove the remaining hair. In the fourth stage, a specialized man is responsible for eviscerating the pig. Each peice is given to his collaborators. The meat is minced and cut, and at the end spiced.
This traditional way gives an extreme quality to the final products. For instance, they cut the meat manually, and so it maintains the fibers of the meat, and nothing get wasted, as even bones are used for the broth.
Every piece of the pig is used and combined to make salami, sausages, lard, etc., some of which are sold in local shops. The remaining of the pig is eaten the same day.

  • Elettra Arnell
    Director
  • Elettra Arnell
    Writer
  • Elettra Arnell
    Camera operator
  • Elettra Arnell
    Editing
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Tradizioni
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 15, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Elettra Arnell

Elettra Arnell was born in 1992 in Italy, from an Italian mother and a Swedish father. She studied for 5 years at the Art high school Giovanni Sello in Italy until 2011, when she got the diploma in Photography and Film. During the same year she followed Art and Film courses in Stockholm. Since 2012 she has travelled and worked in Scotland, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden and Thailand, creating music videos, short films, video art, animations and documentaries. In each film she directed, filmed and edited. Her themes often refer to death, identity, creativity, and loneliness. In 2015-2016 she studied at the European Film College in Denmark, receiving a Diploma in Advanced Editing with Avid, Editing with Avid, Foundation in Sound for Film - From Design to Delivery, Animation and Lightning for Film. During the course, she collaborated with other students as sound designer and editor, on different projects, such as short films and documentaries. She is currently studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Digital Film and Television).

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Director Statement

Before making this documentary, I had no idea of this tradition where I live. I wanted to take part in this process, get to know how products from the pig are made, and document it.
I realised what quality really means, and how much work there is behind it. Everything is done manually and people are very skilled and precise.
As now a days we don't know where the meat we buy comes from, it is very important to preserve these traditions, where animals don't suffer, and where quality is preserved.