0001 00:32:17:18 00:32:20:14 To the shepherds...
0002 00:32:23:13 00:32:26:04 40 years ago,
in Casais de Folgosinho,
0003 00:32:26:06 00:32:29:14 there were about 10 thousand
heads of cattle.
0004 00:32:29:16 00:32:35:14 In 2001, remain only 10 flocks.
There are little more than 600 heads.
0005 00:32:36:05 00:32:39:12 Casais de Folgosinho is, probably,
0006 00:32:39:15 00:32:43:02 the last sanctuary of shepherds
of Serra da Estrela.
0007 00:32:43:05 00:32:45:23 It's unique and it's vanishing...
0008 00:33:28:23 00:33:35:18 ARE STILL THERE ANY SHEPHERDS?
0009 00:33:38:16 00:33:41:20 A film by
0010 00:33:52:15 00:33:56:06 <What lost worlds>
<lie under these clouds?>
0011 00:33:57:24 00:34:01:04 <40 years ago, were spread>
<on these hillsides>
0012 00:34:01:06 00:34:04:12 <innumerable "Casais">
<occupied by large families.>
0013 00:34:04:18 00:34:08:15 <They are isolated farms of which>
<many are still built in granite>
0014 00:34:08:17 00:34:10:18 <with thatched roof tops.>
0015 00:34:10:21 00:34:14:02 <It is certainly one of the most>
<remote places of Portugal.>
0016 00:34:14:05 00:34:16:22 <The electric light>
<turned off far away,>
0017 00:34:17:00 00:34:20:14 <the tarmac roads never arrived>
<at these goat paths,>
0018 00:34:20:16 00:34:23:01 <snow tourism passes by>
0019 00:34:23:05 00:34:24:21 <and the Europe>
<of communitarian funds>
0020 00:34:24:23 00:34:27:22 <seem excessively distant>
<to be real for this people.>
0021 00:34:28:03 00:34:31:07 <But for being located>
<in a very fertile valley>
0022 00:34:31:09 00:34:32:19 <it is here that are found>
0023 00:34:32:21 00:34:35:09 <the genuine shepherds>
<of the Estrela Mountain range.>
0024 00:34:35:20 00:34:37:15 <Today they are scarce,>
0025 00:34:37:17 00:34:41:15 <but still, the valley is sprinkled>
<of small stories,>
0026 00:34:41:17 00:34:43:24 <each one very different>
<from any other>
0027 00:34:44:01 00:34:47:07 <marked by the harshness>
<of the agricultural world>
0028 00:34:47:09 00:34:51:03 <and lamented for those>
<that last resist on this valley.>
0029 00:34:56:06 00:34:59:00 Narrated by
0030 00:35:56:20 00:35:59:10 <Grazina is the oldest shepherd>
<on the valley.>
0031 00:35:59:17 00:36:01:09 <He is more than 80 years old,>
0032 00:36:01:11 00:36:05:01 <and in his face the marks of the many>
<difficulties of a hard life.>
0033 00:36:05:03 00:36:08:03 <The weight of age>
<and countless frozen winters,>
0034 00:36:08:06 00:36:10:18 <had stolen him the strength>
<from another time.>
0035 00:36:12:21 00:36:15:18 <Now, Grazina is hostage>
<of the employee's help,>
0036 00:36:15:20 00:36:17:12 <who takes care of the flock.>
0037 00:36:20:08 00:36:21:11 <Twice a day,>
0038 00:36:21:14 00:36:24:15 <he has to take off milk>
<of 80 sheep's and goats.>
0039 00:36:32:17 00:36:33:21 Me...
0040 00:36:33:24 00:36:38:06 My all life was this,
my all life was this.
0041 00:36:38:21 00:36:41:20 Today, no one wants this kind of job.
0042 00:36:43:08 00:36:47:09 I'm old, but I'm still working.
The young people don't want this.
0043 00:36:48:18 00:36:51:24 I... when I was twelve years old,
I went to Douro river,
0044 00:36:52:03 00:36:54:11 do you know why? With the sheep.
0045 00:36:54:14 00:36:56:19 In Douro river we didn't have a house,
0046 00:36:56:21 00:36:59:14 the sky and the cork-oak
and the blanket were my home.
0047 00:36:59:16 00:37:03:05 We slept in the open
air every single night.
0048 00:37:04:10 00:37:07:13 Shepherds... at that time,
that was what we found there,
0049 00:37:07:15 00:37:09:13 a lot of shepherds!
0050 00:37:09:17 00:37:12:21 Today, all the houses are empty...
0051 00:37:13:00 00:37:16:06 Some have died,
others have just gone away,
0052 00:37:16:09 00:37:20:10 there's no electricity,
and they go away.
0053 00:37:29:08 00:37:33:05 <This time, the milking routine,>
<usually done in the dim,>
0054 00:37:33:07 00:37:36:09 <is illuminated>
<by the strange light of the camera.>
0055 00:38:04:04 00:38:06:13 <The working day has just finished.>
0056 00:38:06:15 00:38:09:05 <Grazina disappears>
<in the darkness of the valley.>
0057 00:38:17:09 00:38:18:21 It's like I tell you...
0058 00:38:18:23 00:38:22:02 The youngsters don't want this,
the old ones are disappearing...
0059 00:39:20:11 00:39:23:21 <The dog, the sheep,>
<and always the tape recorder,>
0060 00:39:23:23 00:39:26:09 <with Quim Barreiros's music.>
<(A famous portuguese singer)>
0061 00:39:27:08 00:39:30:00 <Little more is the day of Herm’nio,>
<27 years old,>
0062 00:39:30:02 00:39:32:12 <the youngest shepherd at the valley.>
0063 00:39:32:14 00:39:35:01 <The livestock and the mountains>
<have already become used>
0064 00:39:35:03 00:39:37:08 <to the shepherds wide open throat>
<and radio.>
0065 00:39:37:14 00:39:39:06 Mother fucking sheep!
0066 00:39:46:17 00:39:48:06 Hey stupid sheep!
0067 00:39:49:10 00:39:51:17 Fuck... You are passing
throw the middle of the grass.
0068 00:39:51:19 00:39:53:07 Damn you!
0069 00:39:59:15 00:40:03:01 <Herm’nio returns home before>
<the sun falls onto the horizon.>
0070 00:40:03:03 00:40:06:06 <But the working day>
<is still far from the end.>
0071 00:40:08:21 00:40:11:13 <Every single day of the year,>
<in the morning and evening,>
0072 00:40:11:15 00:40:14:01 <he is the one who milks>
<over 100 animals.>
0073 00:41:21:07 00:41:25:13 <These goats and sheep that Herm’nio>
<knows by name, aren't his.>
0074 00:41:25:16 00:41:29:15 <They are instead the inheritance that>
<remained from a difficult childhood,>
0075 00:41:29:17 00:41:32:12 <that brought him into care>
<of Mr. Albino and Miss Em’lia,>
0076 00:41:32:14 00:41:36:14 <an adoptive which received him>
<more than 15 years ago.>
0077 00:41:47:16 00:41:51:22 You see, Herm’nio was hanging around
as if he didn't have anyone...
0078 00:41:52:01 00:41:57:14 His father and mother beat him at home.
He ran out of school
0079 00:41:58:11 00:42:01:21 and went to a shepherd
in Manteigas village.
0080 00:42:02:03 00:42:06:24 But the shepherd
didn't feed him well.
0081 00:42:08:02 00:42:09:20 He went to the mountain
0082 00:42:09:22 00:42:12:21 and the people who worked there
gave him same food.
0083 00:42:12:24 00:42:15:18 But there's one thing that
the shepherd of Manteigas
0084 00:42:15:20 00:42:18:19 gave him a lot: tobacco.
That's when he started to smoke a lot
0085 00:42:21:04 00:42:23:16 because now he even smokes
at night in is bed.
0086 00:42:23:18 00:42:26:05 One of these days he will burn,
him and his bed.
0087 00:42:26:07 00:42:29:22 After that he stayed sixteen months
in that shepherds home.
0088 00:42:30:00 00:42:31:23 Then, his grandmother went there
to bring him back.
0089 00:42:32:00 00:42:34:16 She phoned me
and my husband brought him here.
0090 00:42:34:23 00:42:38:04 Poor guy, he didn't know
what pants were.
0091 00:42:38:06 00:42:41:09 He's our shepherd, I dress him,
I shoe him, I feed him
0092 00:42:41:13 00:42:44:23 and the money
he earns with his sheep,
0093 00:42:45:00 00:42:48:03 we give him to put on a bank account.
0094 00:42:48:18 00:42:50:15 What do you want me to say?
0095 00:42:51:08 00:42:53:11 Girls don't want to come here.
0096 00:42:53:21 00:42:56:06 Here's a guy all by himself...
0097 00:42:57:12 00:43:01:11 My only solution
is to pay for girlies.
0098 00:43:02:00 00:43:04:10 In here, what kind of life can you have?
0099 00:43:04:13 00:43:06:08 This is a hard life!
0100 00:43:06:12 00:43:10:19 In the morning, about seven,
I get up and milk the sheep.
0101 00:43:10:22 00:43:13:15 About ten o'clock I release
the sheep the fields,
0102 00:43:13:17 00:43:16:22 and I spend the day with them.
0103 00:43:17:03 00:43:22:10 In the evening, about five or six,
I take them back and milk them again.
0104 00:43:22:21 00:43:26:18 Go to boss home then,
go to bed at ten.
0105 00:43:28:04 00:43:31:13 There are days that I feel ok,
but other days...
0106 00:43:32:14 00:43:35:22 I hang around days and days
all by myself... no!
0107 00:43:36:04 00:43:38:20 I don't have Sundays or days off.
0108 00:43:39:03 00:43:44:01 Do you think that young boys are
working with the sheep as I am? No way!
0109 00:43:45:04 00:43:48:01 The mountain... who wants this?
0110 00:44:09:15 00:44:11:14 Maria do Esp’rito Santo.
0111 00:44:12:02 00:44:17:08 <She is 78 years old>
<and lives here alone, almost lost,>
0112 00:44:17:10 00:44:21:12 <in the vastness of the valley>
<for more than 20 years.>
0113 00:44:22:01 00:44:28:07 <Maria do Esp’rito Santo runs, runs>
<after a flock of... three goats.>
0114 00:44:59:04 00:45:02:00 I'm making a fire to get warm.
0115 00:45:04:00 00:45:07:07 This is what I do to feel ok.
0116 00:45:10:01 00:45:13:05 There's a lot of smoke...
0117 00:45:16:06 00:45:20:21 But I have got good sons
who put me here some firewood.
0118 00:45:24:14 00:45:27:16 I'm here alone
for about twenty-two years.
0119 00:45:28:02 00:45:31:14 My husband, he suffered a stroke.
0120 00:45:31:17 00:45:35:15 During that time, I took care of him,
and took care of the sheep,
0121 00:45:35:17 00:45:38:21 and God has given me the courage
and the strength to continue.
0122 00:45:39:05 00:45:43:14 Most people wants me to go with them,
but I prefer staying here.
0123 00:45:44:02 00:45:49:13 Jo‹o's neighbour always says
that I have to go with my sons.
0124 00:45:49:16 00:45:52:09 He asked me if I wasn't scared
to be all by myself.
0125 00:45:52:11 00:45:54:16 And I told him that I wasn't scared
of being alone,
0126 00:45:54:18 00:45:56:04 nobody meddles with me!
0127 00:45:56:06 00:45:59:23 Because who is respectful doesn't
meddle with those who aren't.
0128 00:46:00:00 00:46:01:15 Isn't that right?
0129 00:46:04:01 00:46:06:22 I haven't seen anyone
who wanted to meddle with me,
0130 00:46:07:00 00:46:08:11 let come the first!
0131 00:46:24:02 00:46:28:13 What I like the most is to hear
the Mass and tell one's beads.
0132 00:46:28:16 00:46:33:00 In the evening, at about six thirty.
0133 00:46:35:02 00:46:39:01 And I hear the news,
I like to hear them too.
0134 00:46:39:15 00:46:42:21 The radio is my company.
Its my distraction.
0135 00:46:42:23 00:46:46:24 My distractions are the radio,
the doggies and the sheep.
0136 00:46:49:24 00:46:52:21 It was a day with rain and thunders.
0137 00:46:52:23 00:46:55:16 Be careful with the goats
in the potatoes.
0138 00:46:56:06 00:47:01:04 Well, the other day,
radio didn't want to work...
0139 00:47:01:07 00:47:03:16 I wanted to listen to the radio.
0140 00:47:03:20 00:47:06:16 Then I turned it off
and took off the batteries.
0141 00:47:08:17 00:47:13:23 People have been insisting...
People saying I'm here alone...
0142 00:47:15:07 00:47:17:19 But what can I say?
0143 00:47:18:11 00:47:23:11 This house is mine, I do what I want,
I get up and lay down when I want.
0144 00:47:24:01 00:47:26:05 What else do I want?
0145 00:47:26:15 00:47:29:00 I don't know that what
is to be with people,
0146 00:47:29:02 00:47:30:23 but God wanted his way.
0147 00:47:32:07 00:47:34:03 I want to be here.
0148 00:47:34:11 00:47:36:11 If God wanted my company,
0149 00:47:36:13 00:47:40:17 he would already take me with him,
wouldn't he?
0150 00:48:00:17 00:48:03:04 Look, what a nice music on the radio!
0151 00:49:12:16 00:49:17:20 <On this mountain's wrinkles there>
<are smiles of uncommon childhood.>
0152 00:49:17:23 00:49:20:22 <Rosa and Z>
<are this valley's spring,>
0153 00:49:21:00 00:49:24:02 <more like the autumn>
<to the aged ones.>
0154 00:49:24:05 00:49:26:06 <They are children>
<in a mountain range>
0155 00:49:26:09 00:49:28:06 <that they do not have>
<to share with others.>
0156 00:49:28:08 00:49:29:24 <It is all for them!>
0157 00:50:17:06 00:50:19:08 Rosa, come here!
0158 00:50:21:19 00:50:25:03 <Manuel Pita is the father>
<of these two children.>
0159 00:50:25:05 00:50:27:08 <A shepherd not much given>
<to affection,>
0160 00:50:27:10 00:50:30:24 <and nothing sensible to what books>
<may teach to children.>
0161 00:50:32:11 00:50:34:19 I think the youngsters
should take care of the sheep,
0162 00:50:34:22 00:50:36:12 but they don't want it.
0163 00:50:37:19 00:50:40:13 They only want to go to school
and learn.
0164 00:51:26:08 00:51:28:21 "Quim Barreiros tapes"
0165 00:51:44:23 00:51:46:18 <Herm’nio has less concerns.>
0166 00:51:46:20 00:51:48:19 <He only knows that he has>
<to carry on his shoulders,>
0167 00:51:48:21 00:51:51:01 <one more day of shepherding.>
0168 00:51:51:06 00:51:52:17 <The work is to be done,>
0169 00:51:52:19 00:51:55:01 <and there's no time to lose>
<in much reflections.>
0170 00:52:29:00 00:52:31:09 Sometimes, when there is a new
cassette of Quim Barreiros,
0171 00:52:31:11 00:52:32:21 I have to buy it!
0172 00:52:33:06 00:52:34:16 Wherever....
0173 00:52:34:20 00:52:40:16 Someone told me that a new cassette
came out, but I haven't seen it yet.
0174 00:52:41:02 00:52:43:09 When I see it, I'll have to buy it.
0175 00:52:43:13 00:52:46:01 Sometimes, once in a while,
I bring the radio,
0176 00:52:46:04 00:52:50:07 to listen to the music
of Quim Barreiros...
0177 00:52:52:07 00:52:57:05 Once someone said that Quim Barreiros
could be in Manteigas village....
0178 00:52:57:07 00:52:59:19 A long time ago,
I heard it on the radio.
0179 00:52:59:21 00:53:02:05 That day I went to Manteigas village,
but he wasn't there...
0180 00:53:02:08 00:53:04:22 I still hope to see him.
0181 00:53:06:24 00:53:09:07 One day, I would like to see him.
0182 00:53:21:22 00:53:25:03 You never let the song finish.
Damn you!
0183 00:53:25:05 00:53:28:08 Always messing... On the radio
and on the fireplace...
0184 00:53:28:10 00:53:31:16 He can't be near the fireplace,
he's always destroying it.
0185 00:53:32:10 00:53:33:19 It's life!
0186 00:53:38:09 00:53:39:13 Help me...
0187 00:53:42:04 00:53:43:03 Pull up!
0188 00:53:44:24 00:53:50:10 <Short time after the first talk, suddenly,>
<tied and imprisoned by the age,>
0189 00:53:50:12 00:53:54:16 <Grazina sees himself forced to sell>
<the last livestock on his possession.>
0190 00:53:54:18 00:53:56:12 This one was the last lamb.
0191 00:54:01:05 00:54:03:08 Young lady, give me that string...
0192 00:54:05:17 00:54:07:23 Artur, now you have to grab the sheep.
0193 00:54:10:21 00:54:13:16 Uncle Grazina,
you must leave it behind.
0194 00:54:28:09 00:54:33:13 I had to sell the sheep
because I can't see anything and...
0195 00:54:35:08 00:54:37:22 I'm alone, all by myself...
0196 00:54:38:16 00:54:42:05 I had an employee, but he died.
0197 00:54:49:02 00:54:53:09 It was an accident, he jumped
out of a van and died.
0198 00:54:55:23 00:54:57:11 Do you understand?
0199 00:54:59:20 00:55:03:04 Now whatever will be, will be!
0200 00:55:07:13 00:55:10:24 <With the sheep, much of the soul>
<of this man goes away.>
0201 00:55:11:04 00:55:15:04 <A goat without a shepherd>
<it is a lost goat!>
0202 00:55:48:04 00:55:51:05 <Herm’nio is one of the few shepherds>
<of the valley>
0203 00:55:51:07 00:55:53:19 <that still continues to walk,>
<step by step,>
0204 00:55:53:21 00:55:56:01 <in a land more and more abandoned.>
0205 00:55:56:03 00:55:59:22 <Herm’nio persists! He walks! He runs!>
0206 00:55:59:24 00:56:03:12 <He doesn't know where, or what>
<makes him walk, but he runs!>
0207 00:56:04:15 00:56:07:08 Sometimes I don't see anyone
day after day...
0208 00:56:07:10 00:56:09:06 If only I had a mobile phone...
0209 00:56:09:08 00:56:14:19 I'd call to a friend or girlfriend
and the time would run faster, right?
0210 00:57:10:19 00:57:13:09 <Three times per week,>
<the calm of the mountain range>
0211 00:57:13:11 00:57:16:21 <is breached by those>
<who know the best milk is here.>
0212 00:57:46:18 00:57:48:07 <The laws from far away,>
0213 00:57:48:09 00:57:51:06 <the same ones that haven't brought>
<the roads or the electric power,>
0214 00:57:51:09 00:57:53:17 <the demanding communitarian norms>
<of Brussels,>
0215 00:57:53:19 00:57:57:07 <had led almost to abandonment>
<of the traditional cheese.>
0216 00:57:57:12 00:57:59:15 <Practically no one produces it,>
0217 00:57:59:18 00:58:01:22 <because milk is almost>