Caganer of Pope Francis. Photo by Rubén Abruña

The Caganer, featured at the beginning of the film, is a figurine depicted squatting with the pants down, in the act of defecation. In Castilian and Catalan, Caganer means “the shitter”.

In Catalonia, for over 100 years, it appears in nativity scenes, sharing the stage with baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Joseph. The idea behind it is that the Caganer fertilizes the ground of the nativity scene, ensuring that there will be a new one the following year, thus reminding us that our poop is a fertilizer.

Many modern Caganers represent authority figures like the Pope, Obama, Merkel, the Queen, Macron, and Putin, among hundred others. With its pants down, the Caganer serves as an equalizing device to bring the mighty down.

We thank Caganer.com for their support of the film.