0:00:02 > 0:00:04UPBEAT MUSIC
0:00:04 > 0:00:05It's World Cup year
0:00:05 > 0:00:08and the whole of South America will be celebrating.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Salud!
0:00:11 > 0:00:13- 'I'm Billie JD Porter...'- ALL: Hi!
0:00:13 > 0:00:17'..and in this series, I'm going to three countries across this spectacular
0:00:17 > 0:00:19'and rapidly changing continent,
0:00:19 > 0:00:24'lifting the lid on young people's passions, dreams and obstacles.'
0:00:24 > 0:00:25GUNSHOTS RING OUT
0:00:25 > 0:00:29And tonight, a nation where beauty is even more important than football.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32I'm dressed up... but my eyelashes are falling off!
0:00:39 > 0:00:42DRUMS BEAT
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Welcome to Venezuela and in a country obsessed with beauty,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49tonight is the night where dreams are made.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Buenos noches, Venezuela!
0:00:51 > 0:00:52CHEERING
0:00:53 > 0:00:56There is no greater prize for a woman here
0:00:56 > 0:00:58than the Miss Venezuela crown.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03I came here with nothing. A little bag and my dream, that's it.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Wow!
0:01:09 > 0:01:12# I live for the applause applause, applause.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16# I live for the applause-plause Live for the applause-plause... #
0:01:16 > 0:01:1915 million people watch the Miss Venezuela contest
0:01:19 > 0:01:20live across Latin America.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Beauty here is part of the country's identity
0:01:25 > 0:01:30and heritage, and it has been for as long as anyone can remember.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:01:36 > 0:01:40To succeed, the girls must undergo a transformation
0:01:40 > 0:01:43designed by the nation's king of beauty, Osmel Sousa.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47'For the first time in 30 years,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51'Sousa is opening his beauty factory to the world.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:52Hey, it's Billie. Thank you.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56'Giving me behind the scenes access along with the reality TV show.'
0:01:58 > 0:02:00'I follow contestant number 22...
0:02:01 > 0:02:05'..who will attempt to go from slum to celebrity in just six months.'
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Oh, hi, nice to meet you. I'm Billie.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09SHE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:02:13 > 0:02:15She must survive, not just the contest,
0:02:15 > 0:02:20but Caracas itself - the most dangerous capital in the world...
0:02:20 > 0:02:25..where armed robbery, kidnap and murder are a constant reality.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30'And I meet a cowgirl from the Amazon determined to find a way to
0:02:30 > 0:02:31'Osmel and the big city.'
0:02:31 > 0:02:34SHE SHOUTS
0:02:36 > 0:02:40'Finally, I attempt to track down Osmel Sousa himself.'
0:02:40 > 0:02:42My name's Billie. I 'm from the BBC.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I got completely starstruck then. I don't even know...
0:02:50 > 0:02:51I was burning up.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Caracas, a tropical city close to the Caribbean Sea.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03I arrived six months before the Miss Venezuela final,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08and already hundreds of girls are competing to become candidates.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13I was watching clips of all the girls. I was like, "Oh, my God!"
0:03:13 > 0:03:16I can't stand next to these people without just looking like...
0:03:17 > 0:03:18..a goblin, basically.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26The President, Hugo Chavez, has just passed away
0:03:26 > 0:03:28and his image is everywhere.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32This self-styled Robin Hood took from the rich
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and gave to the poor, calling it a socialist revolution.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45He had many enemies, but to his supporters he's a saint.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:03:49 > 0:03:52But the truth is I've come to meet another leader.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55That's Osmel Sousa - president of Miss Venezuela.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I'm dying to meet Osmel, but I've heard he's an elusive character,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02so I'm ready to suck up to him big time.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09'And today he's at the Miss Venezuela house,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13'his beauty factory where ordinary girls are transformed.'
0:04:23 > 0:04:27I've already seen someone with a post-op cotton pad on their face.
0:04:31 > 0:04:3255 kilos.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Mal. Says I'm fat.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Do you think that all of the girls here are kind of in awe of Osmel?
0:04:48 > 0:04:49SHE REPLIES IN SPANISH
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Next door, a casting is taking place.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29From his throne, King Osmel Sousa is choosing which girls can go
0:05:29 > 0:05:30through to the next round.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32MUSIC: "Daddy Cool" by Boney M
0:05:32 > 0:05:35# She's crazy like a fool
0:05:35 > 0:05:37# What about it Daddy Cool...? #
0:05:37 > 0:05:42No flaw, however small, escapes this 67-year-old perfectionist.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:05:48 > 0:05:51# ..She's crazy like a fool
0:05:53 > 0:05:55# What about it Daddy Cool...? #
0:05:58 > 0:06:00OK.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02# Daddy, Daddy Cool... #
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Osmel has never hidden the surgery.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07This pageant isn't based on natural beauty alone,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09it's all about your potential.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13# ..Daddy, Daddy Cool! #
0:06:14 > 0:06:16They're remarkably brave,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20compared to a lot of the reality shows we have in England.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22No-one was crying, at least on the outside.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25But they were just there, you know, like pointing
0:06:25 > 0:06:28at the nonexistent cellulite and the girls were just fine with that.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31I was like, "Oh, my God."
0:06:31 > 0:06:33I was sort of rearranging my dress to cover my knees
0:06:33 > 0:06:37so Osmel didn't spy on them.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Maria Alicia...
0:06:40 > 0:06:44'Time for the eliminations.'
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Are you shocked by that decision?
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Hah!
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Obviously, to you
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Miss Venezuela is way more than just a beauty pageant.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32'Girls battle for months just to win a place here.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36'But for those with no money, it can be especially difficult.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Just a few miles from the beauty factory are the slums.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Known as the barrios, they are home to 1.5 million people.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Many have been lifted out of extreme poverty,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55but these areas remain extremely violent.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Somebody is murdered every 40 minutes in Venezuela.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07I visit 18-year-old contestant Meyer, who helps her parents
0:08:07 > 0:08:10run their tiny shop in the heart of the Santa Cruz barrio.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Hi, I'm Billie. Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Hello.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- Mi madre.- Oh, hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Billie.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24So, you're like a local celebrity now?
0:08:24 > 0:08:26SHE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Is a kind of like a taste of what might be to come?
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Would you like that sort of attention in the future?
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Do you think that being involved in Miss Venezuela could help you
0:08:43 > 0:08:44and your family on a financial level?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Is it difficult for young people in the barrios to
0:09:00 > 0:09:02land opportunities like this?
0:09:16 > 0:09:19'Nobody from this barrio has ever made it to the Miss Venezuela final,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21'let alone win it.'
0:09:22 > 0:09:26It seems like it's difficult to get out of this neighbourhood,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30but they're making the best of it.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32This house is...
0:09:32 > 0:09:36probably a lot nicer than the one I grew up in, to be honest with you.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39But the family hasn't escaped the violence.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Meyer's brother and cousin were shot dead in the area
0:09:43 > 0:09:45and now they all want a better future.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47So, do you share this with your sister then?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49TRANSLATION
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Does she want to be a Miss as well?
0:10:02 > 0:10:06So what was the grand total, then, when you added everything up?
0:10:09 > 0:10:10That's a lot!
0:10:10 > 0:10:13I can't imagine how much you had to work to put up that money.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24Does the fact that they've spent
0:10:24 > 0:10:27so much money on you make you feel
0:10:27 > 0:10:30nervous or more pressured to succeed?
0:10:36 > 0:10:38So, what surgeries have you had?
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Who told you that you needed to get all that stuff done?
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Oh, is that your...?
0:11:12 > 0:11:13So you're just having soup?
0:11:19 > 0:11:22What is that? I don't understand.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'Meyer tells me the plastic patch is sewn onto the tongue,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28'making it too painful to eat solids.'
0:11:34 > 0:11:36I have never heard of anything like that in my life!
0:11:36 > 0:11:38How can...? Can't kiss anyone then?
0:11:46 > 0:11:49It was crazy to hear how much money Meyer's family have
0:11:49 > 0:11:53spent on her surgery and her clothes
0:11:53 > 0:11:55and everything involved with the competition.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And I wonder if that's Osmel's influence.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05MUSIC: "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Stanton
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Excited to learn from the pros!
0:12:14 > 0:12:17'It's Saturday morning at beauty school in Caracas.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23'A city where every little girl is considered a potential beauty queen of the future.'
0:12:26 > 0:12:27HE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Ooh! You're so sweet.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38- # ..When you just can't break away - You can't just break away
0:12:38 > 0:12:40# Oh, young hearts... #
0:12:40 > 0:12:44'There are over 35 of these academies in Caracas.
0:12:44 > 0:12:50'And from here, Osmel Sousa is a constant reminder of the Miss Venezuela fairy tale.'
0:12:50 > 0:12:53# ..My man and me
0:12:54 > 0:12:59# Ooh, young hearts to yourself be true
0:12:59 > 0:13:03# Don't be no fool when love really don't love you... #
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Do you girls all want to enter Miss Venezuela
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- when you're older? - ALL: Si!
0:13:09 > 0:13:10What's your favourite class?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Why is it important to learn how to do your make-up now?
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- Do you like Osmel?- ALL: Si.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- Are you going to watch the final on telly?- ALL: Si.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Stephanie, you're not eating your food like a lady!
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Why do you come here every Saturday?
0:13:39 > 0:13:40SHE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Do you think that even doctors need to know how to put make-up on
0:13:59 > 0:14:00and how to do a catwalk?
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Why do you want to enter Miss Venezuela?
0:14:07 > 0:14:09SHE ANSWERS IN SPANISH
0:14:19 > 0:14:20In the evenings,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23the nation now gets to watch Osmel Sousa at work.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28This is the first time that the whole process has been televised,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32and they've got their own camera crew in the Miss Venezuela house
0:14:32 > 0:14:36tracking everything that happens, like a proper reality show.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Osmel looks so cute!
0:14:45 > 0:14:47What's that guy got on his nose?
0:14:47 > 0:14:51One of the judges has got, like, loads of bandages on his face,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54from a nose job.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55Casual. Look!
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Oh!
0:15:09 > 0:15:11'For the first time,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14'the show reveals the extreme diets the girls put themselves on.'
0:15:14 > 0:15:16What... Fainting?
0:15:18 > 0:15:20'And the consequences.'
0:15:20 > 0:15:21Oh, my God.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51I love trashy TV. That's my new favourite show.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Tonight, Osmel is due on the red carpet as a judge
0:16:05 > 0:16:07at a Miss Venezuela regional heat.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13I decide if I'm ever going to make contact with the man,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17I'm going to have to ambush him myself.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27Hello. My name's Billie. I'm from the BBC. You look amazing.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Why is Miss Venezuela such an important contest to this country?
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Why do you think the country is so fascinated by watching
0:16:38 > 0:16:40the journey that these girls go on every single year?
0:16:48 > 0:16:53Is it harder than it looks, the stuff that they have to go through?
0:16:53 > 0:16:55I'm going to be your crazy fan for the next six months.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58This isn't the last you're going to see of me.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05It's weird because even though I've got nothing to do with
0:17:05 > 0:17:08this competition at all, I found myself really,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11really seeking his approval then, and I really wanted him
0:17:11 > 0:17:14to like me, and that's the way a lot of women are around him.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18They're all falling around over him and they want him
0:17:18 > 0:17:21to think that they're nice or fabulous or something.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24It's just a weird effect to have on people around you,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26and I think that for someone of his age,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30to dress the way he does and to be so sort of openly flamboyant
0:17:30 > 0:17:33and dedicated to his trade is really fascinating.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Osmel has acknowledged my presence at least.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50But will the king grant me a proper audience?
0:17:56 > 0:17:59When I next see Osmel, it's on TV.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Under the knife, to improve his smile.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Later in the episode, Meyer, the girl from the slums,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16struggles to survive in the competition.
0:18:41 > 0:18:42Vanessa.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I've been told that Miss Venezuela mania consumes
0:19:10 > 0:19:12every corner of the country.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17So I head 300 miles south to a city at the edge of the Amazon.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Right about now,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24we're flying over the Orinoco Belt area, which is home
0:19:24 > 0:19:27to the second largest oil reserve in the whole world,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30so there's a lot of money underneath us right now,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34which is kind of weird after seeing all these barrios
0:19:34 > 0:19:38and slums back in Caracas, but Venezuela's actually...
0:19:38 > 0:19:40There's a lot of money flying around both in oil
0:19:40 > 0:19:42and in the beauty industry.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Oh, my God. Mega gym.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05I tracked down a group of regional Miss Venezuela wannabes,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07who are training long into the night.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21I want to know what sacrifices the girls are prepared to make
0:20:21 > 0:20:22to get ahead in the competition.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26It's here I meet 20-year-old farm girl Lara.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29What's your life like now? What do you do for a job?
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Wow. That must be a really big deal for you, then.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43I guess you've thrown a whole other life away for this.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Oh, don't worry.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Bloody Osmel, making the girls cry.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Do you ever think this whole culture of beauty
0:20:58 > 0:21:03and making young girls want to go to pageants and making their dream
0:21:03 > 0:21:08to look like Barbie dolls, essentially, is making people sad?
0:21:08 > 0:21:10It's a lot of pressure on girls.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Do you think it would be possible for you to show us where you live at some point?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34It's so nice to meet you. Stop crying.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Is it extensions, like mine?
0:21:44 > 0:21:47DO you have anything else on that's, like, false?
0:21:50 > 0:21:51Botox?
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Was your Botox just to lift your eyebrows, then?
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Have you watched the show on TV?
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Lots of the girls we've met who are even at the same stage as Lara
0:22:42 > 0:22:48in the competition have had work done, like a boob job.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Does that concern you slightly, that she
0:22:50 > 0:22:51might be under pressure to do the same?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11How does that feel to have Lara as a cover girl?
0:23:33 > 0:23:37So Lara is a bit of a local celeb now, but I think that
0:23:37 > 0:23:42the family just see her as the same old farm girl, which is nice.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Did you foresee Lara following in your footsteps
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and working the farm and becoming a cowgirl?
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I've heard that the government has been seizing land
0:24:14 > 0:24:15and taking over some of the local farms.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34The government's control of food production has squeezed
0:24:34 > 0:24:37this independent farm out of the market.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41The family can't sell the milk, and there are no prospects for Lara.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44At the same time, people in the cities are experiencing
0:24:44 > 0:24:46serious food shortages.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Billie.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55What are you queueing for specifically today?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Why do you think all of this is happening?
0:25:29 > 0:25:33This woman is trying to defend the government's reputation.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35But others disagree.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Everyone's getting really, really angry and shouting,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45trying to have their say.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Somebody else steps in to accuse the queuers of failing to support
0:26:01 > 0:26:02the socialist revolution.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15What's happening?
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Everyone's screaming, about loving their country
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and not being able to find the food they need. But it's weird.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24All the kids are off school,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28so there's loads of young children here, and babies.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31I'm sure they don't know what the hell is going on.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32Sad.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Tonight, Lara is hoping to win the regional heat
0:26:46 > 0:26:52and collect the coveted prize, a place at Osmel Sousa's beauty factory in Caracas.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02How's it going?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12You seem remarkably composed,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16considering that this could change your entire life.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Lara hasn't got any of her family here,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34so we're going to have to be whooping for her.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Lara becomes a finalist,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11but then only two girls are selected to go to Caracas.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Her dreams have been smashed.
0:28:22 > 0:28:30You did really, really well throughout all of it.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36I think you should be really pleased.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Well, um...well done, you did so good.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Laura's putting on a brave face,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46but we both know her sacrifices haven't paid off.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55After having seen the reality of all the stuff
0:28:55 > 0:28:58that's going on in the country now with all the shortages
0:28:58 > 0:29:01and meeting first-hand the people who have to queue for hours
0:29:01 > 0:29:03to get basic supplies,
0:29:03 > 0:29:07it's really interesting that beauty's such a big priority here,
0:29:07 > 0:29:09despite the economic climate.
0:29:15 > 0:29:16Hey, it's Billie.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19'I arrive back at the beauty factory.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22'I've been pencilled into the King of Beauty's diary.'
0:29:22 > 0:29:24- Hi. - ALL: Hi!
0:29:25 > 0:29:28# You're undiscovered
0:29:28 > 0:29:30# Want to see the rest of you... #
0:29:30 > 0:29:32Despite my best efforts,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35the girls tell me I'm not "Osmel-ready".
0:29:41 > 0:29:42Noted.
0:29:45 > 0:29:46And as if by magic...
0:29:47 > 0:29:49..Osmel suddenly appears.
0:29:49 > 0:29:50Thanks so much!
0:29:50 > 0:29:53Did you think I was really scruffy when you first met me?
0:29:56 > 0:29:57That's kind of true, I guess.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Before you were in this industry, did you always think like that?
0:30:05 > 0:30:07When you looked at a girl, were you like,
0:30:07 > 0:30:08"Oh, that could be better"?
0:30:13 > 0:30:15What do I need to fix?!
0:30:15 > 0:30:17My teeth?
0:30:17 > 0:30:19British people have bad teeth.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23No, I can't smile.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25So, my teeth - what else?
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Oh, what, the moles?
0:30:29 > 0:30:31HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:30:31 > 0:30:32Yeah...
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Were there women in your life when you were younger, very beautiful?
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Do you think that inspired you?
0:31:03 > 0:31:05So that was it - you were angry!
0:31:39 > 0:31:40Wow...
0:31:41 > 0:31:43During Osmel's reign,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Venezuela has won more international beauty competitions
0:31:46 > 0:31:47than any other nation.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51But not everyone's a fan,
0:31:51 > 0:31:55like these anti-pageant protesters in London, 2011.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00There was some backlash a while ago, wasn't there?
0:32:00 > 0:32:02After a Miss World competition,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06there were feminist protesters who had a problem with the competition.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08What do you think about that?
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- I'm a feminist.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24I don't look like one?
0:32:27 > 0:32:31I don't think feminists are against beauty, necessarily.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33It's the implication that women have to be beautiful
0:32:33 > 0:32:34in order to be respected.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57The Miss Venezuela final is now just two months away.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01I'm told people watch for two reasons -
0:33:01 > 0:33:04it's a chance to see the nation's most beautiful women...
0:33:09 > 0:33:10..and there's the possibility
0:33:10 > 0:33:14they'll say something spectacularly stupid when they open their mouths.
0:33:22 > 0:33:23Ay, no!
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Meyer is nominated as one of the top three worst speakers.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Meyer suffers another blow while training -
0:34:01 > 0:34:05she loses her confidence and sinks on national TV.
0:34:10 > 0:34:15No wonder the girls are scared of looking like fools.
0:34:15 > 0:34:16They now furiously revise
0:34:16 > 0:34:19for the question and answer section of the pageant.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Does it, like, really bother you, then,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24that people assume you're thick?
0:34:38 > 0:34:40- Let me practise one with you. - Yeah, yeah.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42What's your favourite book?
0:34:42 > 0:34:45You must have a favourite book, at least a fake one
0:34:45 > 0:34:48that you've lined up - War And Peace?
0:34:48 > 0:34:49Fifty Shades Of Grey?
0:34:49 > 0:34:51LAUGHTER
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Please say that, please!
0:34:54 > 0:34:55OK.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I bet that if a girl was really outspoken,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00then they'd respect for that, no?
0:35:00 > 0:35:01I think so, yeah.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Just outgoing, spontaneous, something that...
0:35:04 > 0:35:07But it's hard to be in this setting where you have to be a Miss,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09like, "Oh, no, I don't read those type..."
0:35:09 > 0:35:10You know? You have to be very neutral.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12So Fifty Shades Of Grey is a no-no?
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Technically, no...
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Do you feel like, to a certain extent,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20you can't fully be yourself in this competition?
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Em...in a certain way, you can say that,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27because there are some things that a Miss should be and should not be.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Like, when they ask you about abortion and gays, everything,
0:35:31 > 0:35:33you have to be very neutral - you can't be "that, that, that".
0:35:33 > 0:35:35It's very hard.
0:35:35 > 0:35:36What, what, what?
0:35:36 > 0:35:38- Are you reading...?- Yeah!
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Favourite book - sorry, sorry.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Helping the girls deal with life in the spotlight
0:35:50 > 0:35:54is The Professor - an academic and a comedian.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55Nice to meet you.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Is it a very tough job,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00or are many of the girls already quite articulate?
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Well, people are always expecting to laugh at a beauty queen.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07One of the rules is very simple.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09You NEED her to be stupid,
0:36:09 > 0:36:14because if she's smart, beautiful and successful at the same time,
0:36:14 > 0:36:16there is no divine justice.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20This is all free - God just chose some girl, randomly,
0:36:20 > 0:36:21and decided, "You know what?
0:36:21 > 0:36:24"She's not going to have to work a lot in her life.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28"Having drinks in the pool and hanging out in the best places..."
0:36:28 > 0:36:31There's this mythology about the beauty queens.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37The Professor's main task is to help the girls side-step all controversy.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40A tricky question from journalists or on stage
0:36:40 > 0:36:42could be something that brings you to politics,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44which is very sensitive in this country.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Why do you think it's not a good idea to be detailing problems?
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Is it, kind of, pretend that they're not there...?
0:36:49 > 0:36:52No - everybody knows they're there.
0:36:52 > 0:36:53It is important to show
0:36:53 > 0:36:55that you're living in the country you're living in,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59and that's why I ask them, "Read the newspaper, for God's sake.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01"Listen to the news."
0:37:01 > 0:37:04But they cannot show any political inclination.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07They have to be centre, no matter if, in their heads,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10they're leftist or right-wing or whatever.
0:37:10 > 0:37:11They have to be centre,
0:37:11 > 0:37:15because we live in a very polarised country, when it comes to that.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18MUSIC: "Lovumba" by Daddy Yankee
0:37:20 > 0:37:23At the same time, when it comes to beauty,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25the girls are never free from Osmel's gaze.
0:37:30 > 0:37:31How are you?
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Have you always got your eyes on the girls, then,
0:37:40 > 0:37:41even in rehearsals,
0:37:41 > 0:37:43when they're...I don't know, more relaxed?
0:37:53 > 0:37:54Which ones?
0:38:08 > 0:38:09COWS LOW
0:38:09 > 0:38:13Meanwhile, Laura is living back on the farm.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17THUNDER RUMBLES
0:38:17 > 0:38:19But she now travels for modelling jobs
0:38:19 > 0:38:22and agrees to meet me here in Caracas.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25- Hi!- Como estas?- How are you?
0:38:25 > 0:38:26It's been ages.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29- You cut your hair. - Si, si, me lo corte.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30I prefer it.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36How did you feel when you found out that you had lost the competition?
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Do you sometimes wonder what you'd be doing right now, if you had won?
0:38:54 > 0:38:58Like...would you have maybe got a boob job or something,
0:38:58 > 0:39:00cos Osmel had told you to,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02and you'd be on a mad diet?
0:39:44 > 0:39:46The final is fast approaching
0:39:46 > 0:39:49and I'm happy to see that Meyer, the shy girl from the slums,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52has survived in the face of tough competition.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56How have you managed to stay so, so positive throughout this process?
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Because I can imagine it's quite easy
0:39:58 > 0:40:02to just focus on the negatives and get really stressed out.
0:40:17 > 0:40:23You've already come on, like, a really, really long, hard journey,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25physically and mentally.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28But is there anything about yourself you're still self-conscious about
0:40:28 > 0:40:30or you feel is a weakness?
0:40:51 > 0:40:55While Meyer's busy in rehearsals, I come to catch up with her mother.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56Hola...
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- ALL: Hola!- Hola!
0:40:59 > 0:41:01- Como estas?- Muy bien! Y tu?
0:41:01 > 0:41:03SHE SPEAKS RAPIDLY IN SPANISH
0:41:03 > 0:41:04Em...
0:41:09 > 0:41:11Is she going to be a Miss, when she grows up?
0:41:11 > 0:41:13Ay, si!
0:41:17 > 0:41:21Mum wants to show me just how challenging it's been for Meyer.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22Oh, my God! How old is she there?
0:41:28 > 0:41:29Who's that?
0:41:36 > 0:41:38I'm sorry.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Gracias.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49One time, I was talking to Meyer,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51and she said that whenever she goes to the quinta,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54she has to leave all of her problems behind.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57Do you think she was referring to the violence within the barrio
0:41:57 > 0:42:00and talking about what happened to her brother?
0:42:22 > 0:42:24The streets remain violent.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28Just three days before my visit, a group of boys was killed here.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49DANCE MUSIC
0:42:51 > 0:42:54'A British person watching the competition might find it
0:42:54 > 0:42:59'completely crazy, the crazy diets and all of the operations'
0:42:59 > 0:43:03the girls are undergoing just seem such an impossible feat to us,
0:43:03 > 0:43:07but compared to some of the girls' home lives, it's nothing.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Meyer's younger brother was shot dead at 18.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17To fight crime, the government has moved the army onto the streets,
0:43:17 > 0:43:21but during my visit the shootings continued.
0:43:21 > 0:43:2416,000 people are murdered every year in Venezuela.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29'The hospital staff here direct me to the men's ward to meet
0:43:29 > 0:43:31'a survivor and his sister.'
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Do you feel lucky to have survived this?
0:43:39 > 0:43:41What's the big wound?
0:43:45 > 0:43:49Have the police here made any effort to find out who did this?
0:43:59 > 0:44:03In this hospital, are there many victims of gunshot wounds, then?
0:44:07 > 0:44:10What are the main reasons for this violence
0:44:10 > 0:44:12that occurs in the barrios?
0:44:32 > 0:44:35'This family are from the Petare district.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39'Home to 1,000,000 people, it's South America's biggest slum.'
0:44:42 > 0:44:45- Hello.- This is Carmen. - Nice to meet you.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48'Here, the authorities escort me
0:44:48 > 0:44:51'through their new crime-busting initiative.
0:44:52 > 0:44:57'Football pitches, swimming pools and free universities.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59'And they have a new police scheme.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03'Family liaison officers who live among the community.'
0:45:27 > 0:45:30Have you guys been watching the Miss Venezuela show?
0:45:33 > 0:45:35What do you guys make of Osmel?
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Maximo.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42- You like him?- He's the best.
0:45:45 > 0:45:46Top marks.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49Do you think that when life is as hard as it is
0:45:49 > 0:45:52living in a barrio or a dangerous place
0:45:52 > 0:45:57that things like Miss Venezuela provide a bit of escapism from that?
0:46:14 > 0:46:16Miss Venezuela's fighting crime!
0:46:16 > 0:46:18LAUGHTER
0:46:30 > 0:46:33'After six months' preparation,
0:46:33 > 0:46:35'it's the night everybody's been waiting for.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37'The Miss Venezuela final.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42'With three hours to go, the arena is filling up.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45'I find Meyer's family up at the top.'
0:46:45 > 0:46:46So loud!
0:46:46 > 0:46:48DRUMMING, CHATTER
0:46:50 > 0:46:54'But it's too noisy to do anything other than smile.'
0:46:57 > 0:47:02'Earlier in the day, I caught up with the girls for the last time.'
0:47:02 > 0:47:03You've worked so hard
0:47:03 > 0:47:07and I feel like you personally have been through so, so much.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10How would it feel to you if you actually won tonight?
0:47:28 > 0:47:31Do you think that you participating in this competition has made
0:47:31 > 0:47:33you all stronger again?
0:47:51 > 0:47:52Good luck.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Unlike Meyer, most of the girls are from outside Caracas,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02and haven't seen their families for months.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04Like the youngest contestant.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08How difficult has this been for you on an emotional level?
0:48:24 > 0:48:28- Good luck.- Thank you.- See you later.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34- How is everyone doing, nerves-wise? - They're all right, they're all right.
0:48:34 > 0:48:35They're tense.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38You can become a YouTube sensation tonight very easily
0:48:38 > 0:48:41if you slip, and nobody wants that.
0:48:41 > 0:48:46I think that's one of the funniest things about the age we live in.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50People are more afraid of being laughed at than of dying.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00'Meyer and the other girls will be watched by an estimated
0:49:00 > 0:49:03'50 million people live across Latin America.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08'But the show can't start without the man behind the magic.'
0:49:15 > 0:49:17CHEERING
0:49:26 > 0:49:30There will be five winners chosen by a panel of independent judges.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35With a win comes money,
0:49:35 > 0:49:39fame and a chance to travel the world representing Venezuela.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44MUSIC AND CHEERING
0:49:45 > 0:49:51Meyer's first opportunity to gain votes is in the swimsuit round.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04Meyer's 90-60-90 body is mathematical perfection, apparently.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13Next is the part every little girl loves. The dress.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21Meyer's is worth £30,000.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28It has 5,000 vintage Swiss crystals sewn on by hand.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39But Meyer's biggest challenge is still to come.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41The dreaded question and answer round.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14Meyer stumbles over a tiny phrase and is booed.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22But then she recovers herself.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35Now, the five winners are announced.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37Meyer is not a favourite,
0:51:37 > 0:51:40something of which her family are only too aware.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44Miss Guarico!
0:51:50 > 0:51:52Miss Costa Oriental!
0:51:54 > 0:51:58No girl from Meyer's barrio has ever won this competition.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Miss Cojedes!
0:52:18 > 0:52:20SCREAMING AND CHEERING
0:52:49 > 0:52:54Meyer, a shy girl from the barrio, has been transformed by Osmel.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01Despite the loss of her brother, she has, with the support of her
0:53:01 > 0:53:05family, overcome every obstacle to win success.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10Meyer is given a title of first finalist,
0:53:10 > 0:53:13while the youngest contestant, Migbelis Castellanos,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15gets the Miss Venezuela crown.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25It's not a straight win, but being a finalist opens
0:53:25 > 0:53:29doors for girls in Venezuela who want big careers.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38In its 60-year history, Miss Venezuela has survived every
0:53:38 > 0:53:41crisis, every threat, even the feminist revolution that
0:53:41 > 0:53:45forced national beauty pageants off British television.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48It's incredible to think that this competition has stood
0:53:48 > 0:53:50the test of time and politics.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53Look, there is Chavez, the commander of the socialist revolution,
0:53:53 > 0:53:56fist pumping outside Miss Venezuela!
0:54:05 > 0:54:10'The next day, it's time to say goodbye to the man behind it all.'
0:54:10 > 0:54:12How are you? Good. Thank you.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15This is going to be the last time I see you,
0:54:15 > 0:54:17so I just wanted to say thanks so much for having me.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20One of the most amazing things I found on this trip
0:54:20 > 0:54:25is your power over the people that you have around you.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28They say that with great power comes great responsibility,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31and I just wondered if you ever feel pressured by the influence
0:54:31 > 0:54:33that you have over this country?
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Gracias.
0:55:10 > 0:55:11I'll be back! I'll be back.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17'Three days later, Meyer's triumph is honoured by the barrio.'
0:55:19 > 0:55:21CHEERING
0:55:33 > 0:55:35CHANTING AND CLAPPING
0:56:07 > 0:56:10'Next time, I'm in Argentina, where sex takes centre stage,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13'even on national television.'
0:56:13 > 0:56:16They seem pretty young to be listening to music that is about
0:56:16 > 0:56:18anal sex and crack.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21'But in a country where abortion is strictly illegal, girls
0:56:21 > 0:56:24'and boys have to be very careful about how they play.'
0:56:24 > 0:56:26I'm really hoping it's not rental.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31# Mm, dream, baby, dream
0:56:32 > 0:56:34# Dream, baby, dream
0:56:36 > 0:56:37# Dream, baby, dream
0:56:39 > 0:56:40# Dream, baby, dream
0:56:42 > 0:56:44# Forever. #