Andrés Caicedo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luis Andrés Caicedo Estela
Born	(1951-09-29)September 29, 1951 Cali, Colombia
Died	4 March 1977(1977-03-04) (aged 25) Cali, Colombia
Occupation	novelist, poet and playwright
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Luis Andrés Caicedo Estela (born September 29, 1951 – died March 4, 1977) was a talented writer from Colombia. He was born in Cali, and he lived most of his life there. Even though he passed away at a young age, his books and stories are seen as some of the most unique works from Colombia.

Andrés Caicedo was a leader in many cultural groups in Cali. He helped start a writing group called "Los Dialogantes" (The Speakers). He also founded the Cinema Club of Cali and a movie magazine called "Ojo al Cine" (Attention to Cinema). In 1970, he won his first big award. He won the First Literary Contest of Caracas for his story "Los dientes de caperucita" (The Teeth of Little Red Riding Hood). This award helped him become known across Colombia.

Caicedo's writing often focused on city life and the challenges young people faced. Unlike "magic realism" writers, who blend magic with reality, Caicedo wrote about real social issues. Because of this, some experts see his work as a different path in Latin America. He is sometimes compared to famous writers like Gabriel García Márquez. The Chilean writer Alberto Fuguet even called Caicedo "The first enemy of Macondo" (a famous fictional town in García Márquez's books). Even though he is well-known in Colombia, Caicedo is not as famous in other parts of Latin America. However, his work is becoming more popular. New writers like Rafael Chaparro and Efraim Medina Reyes are influenced by him.

Biography

Early Life and School

Andrés Caicedo was the youngest child and only son of Carlos Alberto Caicedo and Nellie Estella. His brother, Francisco José, was born in 1958 but passed away three years later. Andrés went to several schools. He started at Colegio del Pilar, then went to Colegio Pio XII. He later described this school as "very bad."

Because of his behavior, he moved to Colegio Calasanz in Medellín in 1964. This was the year he wrote his first story, "El Silencio" (The Silence). But his school habits did not change much. So, he moved back to Cali and attended Colegio Berchmans. This school later influenced his writing. He was expelled from Berchmans and then from Colegio San Luis in 1966. Finally, he finished high school at Colegio Camacho Perea in 1968.

Passion for Arts

Andrés Caicedo loved literature, but he also had a great passion for cinema and theater. In 1966, he wrote his first play, "Las curiosas conciencias" (Curious Minds). He also wrote his first story, "Infection." A year later, he directed a play called "The Bald Soprano" by Eugène Ionesco. He also wrote several other stories and plays that year.

One of his plays, "The Skin of the Other Hero", won an award. It was recognized at the First Students' Theatre Festival at the University of Valle. In 1971, he left the university to become an actor. He joined the Cali Theatre Company (Teatro Experimental de Cali). There, he met the well-known Colombian director Enrique Buenaventura.

In 1969, Caicedo also started writing movie reviews for newspapers. He wrote for El País, Occidente, and El Pueblo in Cali. His story "Berenice" won an award at the University of Valle. His story "The Teeth of Little Red Riding Hood" came in second place in a Latin American story contest. He also adapted and directed another play by Eugène Ionesco, called "The Chairs." During this time, he wrote many more stories, including "For this reason I am back to my city" and "Happy Friendships."

The Cinema Club of Cali

A representation of a work of Caicedo, "Little Bogged Down Angels" (Angelitos empantanados) by Matacandelas Theatre Company of Medellín in 2003.

Caicedo's love for movies led him to open the Cinema Club of Cali in 1969. He started it with his friends Ramiro Arbeláez, Hernando Guerrero, and Luis Ospina. The club first met at the Cali Theatre Company. Later, it moved to the Alameda Cinema and then to the San Fernando Cinema. Many students, thinkers, and critics came to the Cinema Club. They would watch movies and then discuss them with Caicedo.

In 1970, he adapted and directed The Night of the Assassins by José Triana. He also wrote a new story called "Antígona." In 1971, he wrote more stories, such as "Patricialinda" and "Angelita and Miguel Ángel." He also wrote essays, which are short pieces of writing about a topic. These included "The Heroes of the Beginning" about Mario Vargas Llosa's book "The Time of the Hero" and "The Sea" about Harold Pinter's work.

In 1972, his friend Carlos Mayolo tried to make a movie from Caicedo's screenplay "Angelita and Miguel Angel," but it didn't happen. That year, Caicedo wrote another screenplay, "A Good Man is Very Difficult to Find." He also wrote stories like "The Suitor" and "The Time of the Swamp." "The Time of the Swamp" won an award from the National Story Contest of the Universidad Externado de Colombia.

Trip to Hollywood

In 1973, Caicedo traveled to Los Angeles and New York. He knew English well and hoped to meet the famous director Roger Corman. He wanted to sell Corman four of his play scripts, which his sister had translated into English. He thought Hollywood would welcome him easily. However, his trip was not successful, and Corman never saw his scripts.

Caicedo said about Hollywood:

It is a very difficult and labyrinthine world and those over there do not give support, fearing competition.

Since Hollywood didn't pay attention to him, Caicedo spent his time watching movies. He also studied blues and rock music, especially the Rolling Stones. During this time, he started writing a new story, ¡Que viva la música!. This book would become his most famous work around the world. He also began writing "Memories of a Cinema Lover," a diary he planned to turn into a novel. He did manage to have an interview with Sergio Leone before returning to Colombia.

Final Years

Caicedo believed his best work was "Maternity," a story he wrote in 1974. That same year, he started publishing "Ojo al cine" (Attention to the Cinema). This magazine became one of the most important movie magazines in Colombia. He went back to the U.S. to attend an International Exposition of Cinema. A year later, a publishing house called "Pirata de Calidad" published his story "El Atravesado." His mother helped pay for this, and it brought him more national fame. Andrés Caicedo passed away in 1977.

Influence

Andrés Caicedo's writing has inspired many other Colombian authors. Manuel Giraldo Magil, from the city of Ibagué, was one of the first to show Caicedo's influence in his book "Concerts of Bewilderment." Other writers like Octavio Escobar Giraldo, Efraím Medina, and Ricardo Abdahllah are also part of this group. They are forming a new literary style inspired by Caicedo. The Matacandelas theater group from Medellín has performed "Angelitos empantanados" (Little Bogged Down Angels) for over ten years.

Works

Most of Andrés Caicedo's works were published after he passed away. This happened thanks to the dedication of his friends. His works include stories, plays for theater and cinema, and essays. Some of his personal letters to his mother, sisters, and friends were also published. These letters are important because they show his inner thoughts and feelings.

See also

In Spanish: Andrés Caicedo para niños