The Many Faces of a Venezuelan Goddess

Maria Lionza is the most popular Goddess in Venezuela. Several individuals belonging to very different social circles maintain particular links with her image.

In the Venezuelan mythological universe this Goddess is an exceptional case because, depending on the representations, she is represented as an Indian, mixed race, white and black woman. Sometimes she is a beneficial entity and sometimes an evil one.

The individuals in this documentary offer a portrait of the rich symbolism of Maria Lionza, and highlight some of the roles her image plays in contemporary Venezuelan society, and some of the ethnic, religious and social conflicts which characterize this society. At the end of the film, at an opening of an exhibition on Maria Lionza, all the images shown during the film coincide in one space.