Independence (Independencia)

Are they here?

No, not yet. But they will be soon.

How soon?

There are only a few dances left.

Hopefully more.

God willing, we'll make it through the night.

This?

I won't need that in the forest.

We're leaving too many things behind.

We're taking too many things we don't need.

Come here a moment.

There isn't enough time, we have to leave...

Come here.

Listen well.

If there's one thing we must bring, it's our faith.

Son, you have to be with me.

But I am with you.

It's one thing to be with me,

and another to believe in me.

We have to get going.

Why did you stop?

I thought I heard something.

- Where? - Put that away!

There's nothing wrong, my child. Let's go.

Mother!

Let me see if anyone is inside.

- What was that? - The floor.

But otherwise, it's usable.

A bit of work and it will be good as new.

Looks like it was abandoned centuries ago!

Must be the Spanish!

It will be easy to fix the mess they left behind!

We're already running out of wine.

So, what are we going to do here?

How long are we going to stay?

We'll try to live here.

We shouldn't worry about wine and tobacco,

when the rest of the land is in conflict.

Have some wine. We'll get through this.

No, thank you.

Lunch is ready!

What are we having?

Potatoes! What were you expecting?

Tonight, we'll eat meat!

It's a good thing I brought these.

I thought they were for planting.

Yes, I will plant them!

I only need a few leaves for your wound.

They say that these herbs become healthier and more potent

if grown in the forest.

They come from the forest anyway.

They were once wild plants

discovered by our forefathers a long time ago.

Bear it!

As they say, if it hurts, it will heal.

What was in the forest, and how did this happen?

This is a great forest!

I saw trees far greater than the ones around us.

I saw one wider than this whole house!

I think...

...I could walk several days and nights,

and I still wouldn't reach the other end of the forest.

I've heard that at the end of the forest lies the sea!

I'd like to reach the sea one day.

I think I'm more of a fisherman than a hunter.

There are a lot of big fish in the sea!

- Sometimes I dream about the sea. - You don't like the river?

You caught our dinner from the river.

Of course! I like the river. This forest's river.

The water was so cold! There were so many fish.

I could fish every day for the rest of our lives,

and the river wouldn't run out of fish.

We'll never have meat?

Of course we'll have meat!

For example, on special occasions,

like when we have fiesta.

I promise. One day, I'll bring some meat home for us.

We need to dig up this soil.

What about the owner?

No one owns land that's been abandoned.

- Should I start a fire? - Don't!

Someone might notice us.

I lost my way.

Come inside. You must be starving.

Mother!

I woke up in your hut.

I had some of your potatoes.

I was so hungry that I finished everything in the pot.

Well, the hungry always find something to eat.

I never got to meet my grandfather.

But my father told me many stories about him.

My favourite is about how he fought with snakes.

Snakes!

Don't worry! There aren't any around here.

I'm not afraid of them. Like my grandfather.

You see... his vegetable patch in the forest was taken over by snakes.

He couldn't even get close to the patch.

Neglected, it became overgrown with weeds.

So my grandfather said,

"These evil snakes cannot reign over my property!"

So he sharpened his sword and with a friend, marched to the forest.

As they approached, they could hear the angry hissing of snakes.

It seemed the snakes knew they were coming.

Frightened, his friend quickly climbed up a tree.

From the top, he could see how my grandfather fought the snakes -

severing their heads with his sword,

or pounding them into the ground till they were dead...

When he finished killing the snakes,

he gathered them up into a huge pile taller than him!

Afterwards, he collapsed from exhaustion.

Later, they extracted all the bile from the snakes

and distributed it amongst the villagers.

A form of medicine! It cures many ailments.

You know how my grandfather was able to do all that?

Because he had an amulet!

A pebble: round, smooth,

and black, which he found inside a coconut on Good Friday.

It wasn't from any ordinary coconut tree.