iWitness Lunch Break at MMC: “The Creole Pig: Haiti’s Great Loss”

recounts the story of a vital, resilient animal central to Haitian life for generations. Indigenous to Haiti, the Creole pig was a critical resource for peasant farmers. However, in the 1980s, an outbreak of swine flu, prompted USAID 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.

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.

The film screening will be followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, Dudley Alexis, whose prior films include “Liberty in a Soup” and “When Liberty Burns.” The conversation will be moderated by FIU History doctoral student, Nyya Toussaint.

This event will take place in Room 102 in SIPA II at the FIU MMC campus.

About WLRN Public Media

WLRN-TV is the public television station with the reputation of being South Florida’s storyteller. The station has been producing and presenting local stories that showcase the people, places and events that make our community special and unique. Additionally, WLRN’s originally produced, award-winning documentaries are shared nationally with other PBS affiliates. Since 2005 WLRN has shared more than 30 of its award-winning television productions with PBS affiliates across the country.

WLRN-TV presents the best of the PBS nationally recognized series to compliment award winning locally produced specials. Our primetime programming features an array of cultural, informational, arts, science, drama, and documentary specials to address the curiosity and interests of our local community. WLRN-TV has a monthly viewing audience of more than 312,000 households in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market, with viewership extending from lower Palm Beach County to Key West.

Channel 17 airs children’s programming daily with 50 hours of award-winning content featured each week. Primetime brings award-winning PBS signature programs, such as Nature, Nova, American Experience, Finding Your Roots, and Escape to the Chateau, along with the best of British programming, Miss Fisher’s M**der Mysteries, Doc Martin, Frankie Drake Mysteries and fan-favorite Death In Paradise, to South Florida audiences.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

SIPA II, 11200 Southwest 8th Street, Miami, United States