The Southern Cross

With director Patricio Guzmán Q&A

Venezuela, Spain, 1992
Director: Patricio Guzmán
Screenwriter: Patricio Guzmán
Cinematographer: Antonio Ríos
Editor: Marcelo Navarro
Composer: José Antonio Quintano
Cast: Rafael Cortés, Martin LaSalle
Running Time: 80 minutes

Guzmán’s film explores “popular religiosity” in Latin America, from the expressions of native art to the dynamics of liberation theology, and examines how religiosity as a practice forms a refuge where ancient traditions endure. The film features reenactments of the Spaniards’ first encounters with pre-Columbian religions, tracing the intersections between pagan and church traditions in present-day Latin America.

The religious conquest of Latin America is the connecting theme of this documentary, which depicts the intermingling of indigenous and foreign cultures, a constant since the arrival of the Conquistadors. The film traces the evolution of this syncretism and the patterns of intersection between pagan and church traditions in present day Latin America. Guzmán’s film also examines the way that religion has defined politics and class structure throughout the region.

The Southern Cross is one of the least known of Guzmán’s major documentaries and reflects his ongoing concern with the paradoxical movement of history, anchored by the past and propelled into the future. The film is an extraordinary example of how a “historical documentary” can engage the viewer in a living, moving reflection of the dynamics of history.

Note: Q&A discussion between filmmakers and audience adds approximately 30 minutes to running time.