Fundamental Directors in the Colombian History Cinema
A list of the best Colombian directors that must see if it wants to approach the Colombian cinema.
Sorted chronologically.
Please include comments about directors not included with productions until 1989.
In construction (for now until 1989).
Sorted chronologically.
Please include comments about directors not included with productions until 1989.
In construction (for now until 1989).
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- Francisco di Doménico is known for La hija del Tequendama (1915) and El drama del 15 de Octubre (1915).In the Beginning of the Colombian cinema (1912-1921 mainly) he was an Italian businessman, itinerant exhibitor, producer and filmmaker. His legacy ranges from being one of the pioneers in bringing film to Colombia, to making national productions, through news, documentaries and fiction.
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The Acevedo brothers are a family group of filmmakers from Colombia, made up of the father, Arturo, and their four children, Alfonso, Alvaro, Armando and Gonzalo. From the filming of the burial of General Benjamin Herrera, 1924, they continued during the next thirty years filming the national happenings. To see: Bajo el cielo antioqueño (1925).- Director
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Máximo Calvo Olmedo was born in Spain. He is known for Flores del valle (1941), Castigo del fanfarrón (1944) and La María (1922).Pioneer of Colombian cinema of Spanish origin. (1920-1941 mainly). To see: Flores del Valle (1941).- Marco Tulio Lizarazo is known for Bajo el sol de los llanos (1957).Important driver as producer and director of documentary shorts (40-50 years). To see: Revolución en Marcha (1953) and Feria de Manizales (1959).
- Antonio Ordóñez Ceballos is known for Un ángel de la calle (1967), El milagro de sal (1958) and Claustros de la Nueva Granada (1968).In 1950 he founded the Cinematographic Colombia laboratories dedicated to both the advertising film and the development of the Newsletter. Pioneer of the first feature films of fiction. To see: El Milagro de Sal (1958).
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Julio Luzardo was born in 1938 in Bogota, Colombia. He is a director and writer, known for Una tarde, un lunes (1971), Tres cuentos colombianos (1962) and El río de las tumbas (1964).Director engaged in the origin of a national cinematography in the decades of the sixties and seventies. To see: Tres cuentos colombianos (1962).- Director
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Son of an Austrian father and a Colombian mother, Francisco Norden was born in Belgium. He studied architecture at the National University in Bogotá. He finished architecture in Paris at L'Ecole National des Beaux Arts, and then in London at the Polytechnic School of Architecture. In 1955 he returned to Colombia and dedicated himself to reviewing film and theater in newspapers and magazines. In 1958 he began studies at the Institute of Advanced Cinematographic Studies in Paris (IDHEC), and upon returning to Colombia, in late 1960, he began making institutional short films. Over the next 20 years, he gradually had the opportunity to make full length documentaries and began winning awards in the mid-70's. In 1984 Norden released "Condores No Entierran Todos Los Dias" (A Man of Principle), a feature film based on the novel of the same name written by Gustavo Alvarez Gardeazábal. This film focused on violence in Colombia in the 40s and 50s, and won awards at various film festivals. Norden continued making films in the 80s and 90s.Director engaged in the origin of a national cinematography in the decades of the sixties and seventies. An Icon in the Colombian cinematography. To see: Las Murallas de Cartagena (1963), Camilo, el cura guerrillero (1974), Cóndores no entierran todos los días (1984).- Enoch Roldán is known for El hijo de la choza (1961) and Luz en la selva (1960).In the 60's this fighter managed to make three feature films. To see: Luz en la selva (1960).
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Jose Maria Arzuaga, of Spanish origin, made a major contribution to the cinema of Colombia when he relocated there at age 30 after struggling with studies and a career under Franco.He had grown up during the Civil War and had to compromise some with his pursuits in order to help support his household, though he was able during these years to travel for a while to France and Italy. Due to its costs, he gave up architecture (an interest in buildings would appear in his later film work) and after classes at the Madrid School of Fine Arts became involved with movies.After his move to Colombia in 1960 he had more opportunities and was able to experiment with cinematographic language (an essay in montage in Rhapsody in Bogota, use of Scope, and sweeping camera movements in Roots of Stone) compiling a total of 16 shorts and ,with somewhat more effort, several features.He returned later to his native country and died of cancer.Spanish director who brought to the Colombian cinema a different cinematographic optic (scenarios, narrative structure, camera management). To see: Rapsodia en Bogotá (1963).- Director
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Gabriela Samper was the first woman in Colombia to make documentary films and is also recognized for her contribution in recording the ethnography and folklore of her country.She was born to a middle class Bogota household in 1918 (her father was a lawyer) and she spent almost a decade, from 1928 to 1937 in the school system there before having the good fortune to study abroad, at New York City's Columbia University (English and short story writing) and in modern dance with Martha Graham also New York.Back home she continued studies, now in philosophy, and became involved with live theater beginning in 1958, including puppet plays.Her later film and TV work would feature programming for children.During one of the periods of repression in Colombia she was detained in 1972 for five months on the grounds of subversive activities (she had participated in protest movements from 1948 to 1958) and was tortured, leading her to leave her native country again for a while after her release.She died soon after in 1974.Important documentalist in the development of the Colombian documentary. To see: Festival folclórico de Fómeque (1969)- Director
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Marta Rodríguez was born on 1 December 1933 in Bogotá, Colombia. She is a director and writer, known for Nuestra voz de tierra, memoria y futuro (1982), Campesinos (1975) and Chircales (1972).Documentalist with the premise: "an observer eye that participates in their lives". To see: Chircales (1972), Nuestra voz de tierra, memoria y futuro (1982).- Director
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Jorge Silva was born in 1941. He was a director and cinematographer, known for Nuestra voz de tierra, memoria y futuro (1982), Campesinos (1975) and Chircales (1972). He was married to Marta Rodríguez. He died in 1988.Worked in company of Marta Rodríguez. To see: Chircales (1972), Nuestra voz de tierra, memoria y futuro (1982)- Producer
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Lizardo Díaz Muñoz was born on 29 January 1928 in Baraya, Huila, Colombia. He was a producer and actor, known for Two Sane Nuts (1974), Caballo y el hombre (1978) and Canción de paz (1985). He was married to Raquel Ércole. He died on 8 November 2012 in Bogota, Colombia.Musician and producer who helped make feature films in the 60s and 70s. To see: Y la novia dijo... (1964), Aquileo Venganza (1974).- Director
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Gustavo Nieto Roa was born on 3 April 1942 in Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia. He is a director and producer, known for El taxista millionario (1979), Tiempo para amar (1980) and Aura o las violetas (1974).Colombian stories with commercial orientation and common places. To Rescue: Esposos en Vacaciones (1977).- Director
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Jairo Pinilla is an outstanding Colombian film director, considered the father of horror, suspense and science fiction in Colombia. That is why he is called Colombian Ed Wood or Colombian Steven Spielberg since he has used special effects never before used in Colombian cinema.
Born in Cali in 1944, he has lived in Bogotá since he was 4 years old. From an early age he felt attached to the cinema. He studied Electronic Engineering at the Industrial University of Popayán specialized in electromechanical computers in Mexico with the North American company Burroughs Enterprise, in his spare time he visits the Churubusco studios where he meets the 60s Mexican film stars forging friendships with various personalities from the Mexican cinema and knows first-hand all the technical and artistic part of the cinema of that time, he decided to return to Colombia and make films, his first short film "Que mago" he made with reversible Black and White film and without sound, where we found for the first time time in Colombia special effects in a short film; Making this film, Pinilla begins to put his ideas into practice, then writes and directs "Date with the Times" A Co-production of Asofilms and San Pablo Films, the short film was awarded in Milan Italy.
His first two feature films were: Funeral siniestro (1977) one of the first movies of the horror and suspense genre in Colombia and Area maldita (1980) where he ventures into the police action genre and is the first to incorporate special effects in the shootings; He also filmed an adventure and suspense film with special effects: T-O: Triángulo de oro - 'La isla fantasma' (1985) shot in international locations (Panama), on the high seas, first colombian film dubbed in English and fighting scenes with martial arts, explosions and earthquakes, being this way the most successful of his career. On regressions and psychological horror stories: Extraña Regresión (1985), he has made several shorts of the comedy genre and suspense comedy among others.
The first film in digital format in Colombia began filming in 2005: ¿Porqué lloran las campanas? (2005) filmed in Medellín.
His style is characterized by taking natural actors. It is a characteristic feature to include cameos of himself in his own films, another characteristic is to double the dialogues to English and Spanish in all his plot productions.
The Spanish magazine "Zona de Obras" launched in its Issue 49 of 2008 a section dedicated to Ibero-American cinema with an interview with Jairo Pinilla that included "27 hours with death for the first time on DVD the mythical film by Colombian director Jairo Pinilla".
He was the guest of honor at the 46th edition of the International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia Sitges 2013, in the Brigadoon section in collaboration with the Colombian film festival Zinema Zombi Fest allowed to present a retrospective of Jairo Pinilla's films representing Colombia in the Genre of horror and suspense.
In 2006 the film director Ciro Guerra carried out his thesis work on Jairo Pinilla, a work he called: Sinister documentary.
Since 2013 One Man Band Studios an audiovisual company, has collected information for the creation of "La Pesadilla de Pinilla" a project that is online through the YouTube platform about the life and work of Jairo Pinilla.Without a budget became a place in the Colombian commercial cinema (with too many common places). To Rescue: Funeral Siniestro (1977).- Director
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Luis Ospina was born on 14 June 1949 in Cali, Colombia. He was a director and writer, known for Breath of Life (1999), Pura sangre (1982) and Un tigre de papel (2008). He died on 27 September 2019 in Bogota, Colombia.Documentalist and indispensable scriptwriter in the development of the Colombian cinema. To see: Cali: de película (1973), Agarrando Pueblo (1977), Todo comenzó por el fin (2015).- Director
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Carlos Mayolo was born on 10 September 1945 in Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. He was a director and actor, known for La mansión de Araucaima (1986), The Vampires of Poverty (1978) and Carne de tu carne (1983). He was married to Beatriz Caballero. He died on 3 February 2007 in Bogota, Colombia.An Icon director and one of the most important figures in the Colombian cinema. To see: Cali: de película (1973), Agarrando Pueblo (1977).- Director
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Jorge Alí Triana was born on 4 April 1942 in Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia. He is a director and writer, known for Bolivar soy yo (2002), Tiempo de morir (1985) and Oedipus Mayor (1996).With a long career in Colombian cinema and TV. To see: Tiempo de Morir (1985)- Director
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Lisandro Duque Naranjo was born on 30 October 1943 in Sevilla, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. He is a director and writer, known for Los niños invisibles (2001), Visa USA (1986) and Los actores del conflicto (2008).Important director in the construction of the colombian cinema. To see: Los niños invisibles (2001).- Director
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Camila Loboguerrero was born on 3 September 1941. She is a director and writer, known for María Cano (1990), Nochebuena (2008) and Con su música a otra parte (1983).Important director in the construction of the colombian cinema. To see: María Cano (1989).- Director
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Luis Fernando Bottia is known for La boda del acordeonista (1986), El guacamayo (1983) and El Faro (2013).Director of the north coast of Colombia. To see: Juana tenía el pelo de oro (2006).- Director
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Ciro Durán was born on 10 December 1937 in Convención, Norte de Santander, Colombia. He was a director and writer, known for La toma de la embajada (2000), La nave de los sueños (1996) and Gamín (1977). He died on 10 January 2022.Director who belongs to the history of colombian cinema. To see: La toma de la embajada (2000).