Once upon a time in Venezuela
Dir. Anabel Rodríguez Ríos
Érase una vez en Venezuela | 2020 | Venezuela – Austria – United Kingdom – Brazil | 99 min.
Synopsis
On Lake Maracaibo, beneath the mysterious silent Catatumbo lightning, the village of Congo Mirador is preparing for parliamentary elections. For streetwise local businesswoman and Chavista party representative Tamara every vote counts, fought for by all means, while for opposition-supporting teacher Natalia, politics is a weapon that unsuccessfully attempts to force her out of her job.
And with her sharp eyes, little Yoaini sees her community sinking from sedimentation, her childhood and innocence with it. How can a small fishing village survive against corruption, pollution and political decay, a reflection of all of contemporary Venezuela’s flaws?
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Film credits
Directed by
Anabel Rodríguez Ríos
Producers
Sepp R. Brudermann
Nancy Harrison
Arash T. Riahi
Joe Torres
Malu Viana Batista
Cinematography
John Márquez
Edited by
Sepp R. Brudermann
Sound
Gherman Gil Pagés
Marco Salaverría
Sound designer
Daniel Turini
Music composer
Nascuy Linares
Production companies
Sancocho Público
Spiraleye Productions
Golden Girls Filmproduktion
- THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER - "Once Upon a Time in Venezuela, director Anabel Rodríguez Ríos' first feature-length documentary about the decline of a fishing village, premiered in January at Sundance"
- BBC NEWS - "Once upon a time in Venezuela, Congo Mirador exposes the country's issues at the right time: the intenationally acclaimed documentary by Anabel Rodríguez"
- REMEZCLA - "Review: Documentary Once Upon a Time in Venezuela Captures the Country's Post-Chavez Reality"
- CINEUROPA - "Against a backdrop of a politaclly divided Venezuela, Anabel Rodríguez Ríos shows two local titans making waves in the floating and forgotten village of Congo Mirador"
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