La Santa Muerte

In Mexico there is a cult that is rapidly growing- the cult of Saint Death. This female grim reaper, considered a saint by followers but Satanic by the Catholic Church, is worshiped by people whose lives are filled with danger and/or violence- criminals, gang members, transvestites, sick people, drug addicts, and families living in rough neighborhoods. "La Santa Muerte" examines the origins of the cult and takes us on a tour of the altars, jails, and neighborhoods in Mexico where the saint's most devoted followers can be found In Mexico City's rough-and-tumble Tepito district, crime and violence are unfortunate facts of life, and in a dominantly Catholic nation it's no surprise that the people of Tepito have turned to a favored saint for guidance and protection. However, in Tepito the saint in whom many have placed their faith has been rejected by the Catholic Church -- Santa Muerte, or Saint Death, who is personified in icons as a skeleton shrouded in a white dress. Adopted by the poor and many in the criminal underclass, Saint Death is to some a throwback to Aztec deities of the past, and to others a presence that has become so common in Mexico that they have chosen to worship death rather than shun it.