Watch Once Upon a Time in Venezuela

Once Upon a Time in Venezuela (2020) is a social and political documentary film directed and produced by Anabel Rodríguez Ríos. It follows the story of a small fishing village called Congo Mirador, located in the marshy interior of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. The film begins by providing an overview of the geography and ecology of the region. It shows the magnificent beauty of Congo Mirador, its rich flora and fauna, and the daily lives of its inhabitants who have fished these waters for generations. However, the serene life of the village is under threat due to the ecological changes and political turmoil in Venezuela.

The central character of the documentary is Mrs. Tamara, a charismatic, strong-willed, and passionate woman who is the leader of the community. She is running for the local council elections, hoping to bring about changes in the dilapidated infrastructure of the village, and to address the environmental degradation caused by the oil companies. Her opponent is Mr. Nayr, who belongs to the ruling socialist party.

The film portrays the presidential elections of Venezuela that took place in 2018, resulting in the controversial re-election of Nicolás Maduro. It also highlights the economic crisis, social unrest, and corruption rampant in the country, and how these issues manifest in the daily lives of the people of Congo Mirador.

Throughout the documentary, Rodriguez Rios uses a variety of cinematic techniques that portray the fragility, beauty, and resilience of Congo Mirador. She captures the serene beauty of the village with its magnificent sunsets, changing seasons, and the underwater world. The drone camera shots and the time-lapse photography of the clouds and plants create a breathtakingly beautiful visual narrative.

However, the stunning natural beauty of the village is juxtaposed with the harsh realities its inhabitants face. The film presents how the political and economic crisis in the country, coupled with the greed of big corporations, are undoing the ecological balance of the area. The ecological destruction is manifest in the contaminated waterways, dead fish, and the increase in water levels that are endangering the residents' livelihood.

From the opening sequences, it is apparent that the film is, at its core, a social commentary on contemporary Venezuela. It uses the story of Congo Mirador to reflect the larger issues facing the country's democracy, governance, and social fabric. The film is a poignant indictment of the failure of the state to address the concerns of its people and the ecological balance.

Once Upon a Time in Venezuela is a poignant tale of a small community fighting for its survival amidst the ecological and political turbulence in contemporary Venezuela. It is a powerful testimony to the resilience and strength of people and their will to survive in the face of adversity. The cinematic brilliance of Rodriguez-Rios is visible in the way she portrays the stunningly beautiful yet fragile world of Congo Mirador, which serves as a metaphor for the larger crisis in contemporary Venezuela.

Once Upon a Time in Venezuela is a 2020 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 39 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 80.