MARÍA LIONZA, ALIENTO DE ORQUÍDEAS

For over 500 years in Venezuela the myth of the legendary native princess María Lionza has captured people’s imaginations. The goddess who, according to the myth, was captured by an anaconda is, to this day, worshipped in traditional ceremonies, not just in the remote jungle communities but in the towns and cities as well. She is known as the queen of love and the goddess of nature, peace, happiness and harmony. We follow a group of pilgrims from Caracas who travel to the peak of the Sorte, the holy mountain, the tropical kingdom of the deity. They are an interesting group of characters: Ángel Eduardo Chávez, a gang member, Shery, a transsexual, Jirajara, a shamen and La Abuela, the most senior and the most important medium of the group. Together the pilgrims hope to channel the spirit of the goddess as smoke from cigars fills the air and we hear rhythmic drum beats, music and song. They dance, pray and enter into trances. This captivating film offers us a close up view of a spiritual journey

Award: Best Photography and Best Sound, Merida National Film Festival 2007