Jorge Sanjinés facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jorge Sanjinés
Born	Jorge Sanjinés Aramayo (1936-07-31) July 31, 1936 (age 88) La Paz, Bolivia
Alma mater	Higher University of San Andrés Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1957–present
Spouse(s)	Beatriz Azurduy Palacios ​ (died 2003)​

Jorge Sanjinés Aramayo (born July 31, 1936) is a famous Bolivian film director and writer. He is known for making movies that tell important stories about his country. He also started a film group called Grupo Ukamau. In 2009, he won the ALBA Prize for Arts, which is a big award for artists.

Making Movies for Change

Jorge Sanjinés was born in La Paz, Bolivia. He makes films that share strong political messages. His movies often show the lives of farmers and working-class people in the Andean mountains. These films are part of a style called 'New Latin American Cinema' or Third Cinema. This type of filmmaking was different from regular Hollywood movies. Instead of focusing on one hero, Sanjinés's films often show a whole community working together.

In 1971, Sanjinés released a film called El coraje del pueblo. This means The Courage of the People. The movie was about a sad event called the Massacre of San Juan. For this film, Sanjinés worked with people who were not professional actors. Many of them were farmers themselves. This was the start of a new way of filmmaking for him. He began making movies "with the people," showing their real experiences.

His next film, El enemigo principal (1973), explored how powerful countries can affect smaller ones. It looked at the connection between rich landowners and the local farming communities.

Jorge Sanjinés made his films even though it was hard. He had little money and not many places to make movies. Bolivia also didn't have a long history of filmmaking at that time.

How Revolutionary Films Are Made

In 1976, Jorge Sanjinés wrote an important essay called "Problems of Form and Content in Revolutionary Cinema." This essay was part of the Third Cinema movement in Latin America. Other famous filmmakers also wrote similar essays. These writings helped create the idea of Third Cinema.

Sanjinés believed that filmmakers should move away from the Hollywood style. He wanted movies to have a political impact and help bring about change. He thought films could be a powerful way to share revolutionary ideas. This is because movies can reach many people.

However, he also warned about using film carefully. He said that filmmakers should not use tricks or dishonest methods from big studios. He felt these methods were used to confuse people. Sanjinés believed that revolutionary films must be honest and true.

He also argued against focusing on just one person in a film. Since the goal of Third Cinema is about revolution, Sanjinés said that these films should be a team effort. He believed that revolutionary cinema should be a collective work, just like a revolution itself.

Sanjinés also talked about how important language and speech are in these films. He challenged the idea of using a strict script. Instead, he wanted actors to use their own memories and experiences. For example, when he filmed The Courage of the People, he used people who remembered the events. They could act out what happened based on their own lives. Sanjinés said that these farmers used the filming to finally speak out against their oppression. He believed that "Cinema and reality came together" in this way. This shows how much he valued breaking old film rules to create a true and powerful movie.

The essay also discussed how hard it can be to share revolutionary films. Even if it seems difficult to show a film, Sanjinés said it is still important to make it. He explained that there are other ways to share these movies around the world. He even wanted European and American audiences to see his films. He believed they could learn from them, even if the films were against imperialism.

Jorge Sanjinés's Films

Short films

• Sueños y realidades (1962)
• Revolución (1963)

Feature films

• Ukamau, or And So It Is (1966)
• Yawar Mallku, or Blood of the Condor (1969)
• El coraje del pueblo, or The Courage of the People (1971)
• El enemigo principal, or The Principal Enemy (1974)
• Fuera de aquí, or Get out of Here! (1981)
• Las banderas del amanecer (1983)
• La nación clandestina (1989)
• Para recibir el canto de los pájaros (1995)
• Los hijos del último jardín (2004)
• Insurgentes (2012)
• Juana Azurduy “Guerrillera de la Patria Grande” (2016)
• Los Viejos Soldados (2024)

See also

In Spanish: Jorge Sanjinés para niños

• Latin American cinema
• Third Cinema
• List of Bolivian films
• Film manifesto