La cruz del sur
Spain,
1992, 80 min
Shown in 1993
CREDITS
- dir
-
Patricio Guzmán
- prod
-
Alicia Crespo
- scr
-
Patricio Guzmán
- cam
-
Antonio Rios
- editor
-
Marcelo Navarro
- cast
-
Ameyalzin Fuentes, Rafael Cortés, Martín LaSalle
- source
-
TVE, S.A.
-
COMMENTS
Patricio Guzmán in person.
OTHER
As the world marks the quincentenary of Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” of America, Latin America’s foremost documentary filmmaker, Patricio Guzmán (In the Name of God, SFIFF 1988) has used his unequaled talents to examine the varieties of religious practices that formed the continent both before and after 1942. Guzmán has used all his filmmaking skill to fashion a virtuoso piece of reconstruction, re-staging religious ceremonies amidst spectacular Inca and Mayan ruins, where the ominous metallic clink of the armor of the Spanish conquistadors mingles uneasily with the sensuous feathered costumes of the Indians. Relying on a variety of historic texts and reports as supporting narrative, Guzmán gives us a troubling insight into the differing psychologies of the continents. Moving through a number of countries—Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil—Guzmán searches out present-day traces of these ancient native religions, some of them indigenous to the continent, other influenced by African rites transported by the slaves to South America.
—Piers Handling, Festival of Festivals
FACTOID #175
In 1967, two years prior to her death, the Festival honored Judy Garland in the first (according to the program note) American homage of her work. Garland was unable to attend.
