Plots(1)
According to legend, the native princess Maria Lionza was kidnapped by an anaconda. The story lives on to this day, and she is still widely worshipped in Venezuela. Nowadays, her followers are not only found in jungles and villages, but also in modern cities. They still practice rituals rooted in traditional Venezuelan society, hoping to find spiritual guidance in the process. In cinéma vérité style, the film follows several individuals as they journey to the mountain, where they will worship several icons of Maria Lionza. With the help of songs, stimulants, dance and liquor, the devotees hope to contact the spirit of the princess. In a trance, they achieve another spiritual level, and when they return to their everyday lives, they feel blessed and relieved. With a good sense for psychology, the director brings us close to several interesting subjects, among whom a gay man who works as a fashionable hairdresser and has been rejected by society, and an old woman who experienced healing through the spirit of the princess. Lots of music, colourful locations and skilled camerawork make for an engaging story. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)
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