A Long Journey to Guadalupe

Running time: 97 mins

Twelve million people a year visit this holy place, some making pilgrimages lasting months. The destination, however, is not some exotic location like Mecca or a distant temple in Tibet. Instead, these devoted pilgrims march to the hill Tepeyac, in the heart of Mexico City. The reason for their pilgrimage and its importance to Mexican heritage are the driving forces behind Juan Francisco Urrusti's newest documentary. A Long Journey to Guadalupe introduces its viewer to the many individuals whose paths culminate at the shrine to the Virgin Guadalupe. One path examines the mixture of ancient Catholic and native religious beliefs which lead to the reverent Virgin's story, while another trail looks at the importance the Virgin's story has had in uniting the Mexican people in their drive for independence. Urrusti's film carefully documents the diverse people who make this pilgrimage, revealing the long, often difficult, trek they make. The impact their journey has on the pilgrims, themselves, and on the people and environment around them gives glimpses of the pain, emotion, and ecstasy that drives millions of travelers to Tepeyac hill each year to enter into the presence of the dark-skinned Virgin of Guadalupe. Carefully combining many documented sources, such as historical footage of past pilgrimages and interviews with historians, cultural anthropologists, priests and other experts, Urrusti not only enlightens us to the mystical story of the Virgin Guadalupe, but identifies an important cultural aspect of Mexico while leading us on our own journey to Guadalupe. --Rodger Hughes