Buenaventura, Nicolas

(Nicolas Buenaventura Vidal / August 7, 1962, Cali, Colombia-)

   His uncle offered him an old Russian 16-mm cam­era when he was seventeen years old. He grew up in a theatrical group for which he created lighting, costumes, and masks and wrote and directed a play. Having graduated with a master's in dramatic art from Del Valle University in Cali (his thesis was titled "L'Improvisation et l'Art de l'Acteur"), he taught drama and directing at the Cali Arts School Depart­mental Institute (1986-1989). Then he completed his training at the Princeton University Dramatic Art and Stage Directing Workshop. He entered films in Colombia, working on several TV movies and feature films as still photographer, lighting engineer, location manager, actor, and finally screenwriter. Having settled in France since the early 1990s, he has occasionally played in films and on TV (1991 Le Dernier Lien, TV Joyce Bunuel; 2002 Ma Caméra et moi, Christophe Loizillon) and co-wrote a screenplay (2006 Quelques Jours en Septembre, Santiago Amigorena).

 Filmography

1997 ◘ La deuda / La Dette / La deuda . . . o la insolita muerte y no menos asombrosa resurrecion y Se-gunda muerte de Ali Ibrahim Maria de los Altos Pozos y Resuello, llamado El Turco (co-director with Manuel José Alvarez; also screenwriter, actor, editor; France / Colombia / Cuba)

2006 ◘ Le Charme des Impossibilités (documentary; also screenwriter)

 Television Filmography

1988 ◘ La vida es muy dura (video documentary; Co­lombia)

1989 ◘ La escritura del sol (video documentary; Co­lombia)

        ◘ La musica en los tiempos del ruido (video documentary; Colombia)

1991 ◘ Voiture / Sculpture (video documentary; Colombia)

1995 ◘ Puro cuento (twenty documentaries: Guapi I 1996 & II, San Cipriano I & II, Gorgona, Bucaramanga I, II, & III, San Andrès I & II, Providencia I & II, La Candelaria, La Guarija I, II, & III, Francisco El Hombre, Profesion Cuentera, Cuando el hombre es su palabra I & II (Quand l'Homme est sa Parole); Colombia)