José María Arzuaga(1929-1987)

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.