Ulises Estrella facts for kids
Ulises Estrella Moya (born July 4, 1939 – died December 27, 2014) was an important Ecuadorian poet. He helped start a special writing group called Tzantzismo in the 1960s. Ulises Estrella was also very dedicated to movies. For over 30 years, he led the film library (cinematheque) at the House of Ecuadorian Culture.
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Early Life and Travels
Ulises Estrella was born in Ecuador. His parents were Nicolás Estrella Maldonado and Laura Moya Sánchez.
In 1963, Ulises Estrella met Regina Katz, a writer and teacher. They traveled to Costa Rica, where he taught poetry to children for three months. They also visited other countries like Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico.
In Mexico, he wrote for a poetry magazine called El Corno emplumado. He also reviewed books for newspapers. Later, they moved to New York for nine months. There, Ulises spent a lot of time watching movies by famous Italian directors. This made him very interested in film.
He then went to Colombia, where he met a new group of writers called the Nadaists. By mid-1964, Ulises Estrella returned to Quito, Ecuador.
In 1965, he traveled to Peru, visiting cities like Trujillo, Lima, and Cuzco. He spent two months in Cuzco, meeting poets and painters. He also organized poetry readings and talks. In 1966, he went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to study art and film. He also met Regina there again.
Later in 1966, Ulises and Regina returned to Quito. He became the president of the Association of Young Artists and Writers.
Poetry and Teaching
In 1967, Ulises Estrella represented Ecuador at a big poetry meeting in Cuba. From 1969 to 1970, he taught art history and how to understand art in Havana, Cuba. During this time, he also published a play called "Apenas de este mundo."
Between 1971 and 1979, he started the Film Department at the Central University of Ecuador. He taught classes on film journalism and how images work.
From 1974 to 1984, he directed a newspaper called Prensa Obrera. In 1975, he was chosen as a leader for workers' groups at the Central University and across Ecuador.
The Tzantzismo Movement
In 1962, Ulises Estrella and Leandro Katz created the first poetry booklet called "Clamor." This was the beginning of the Tzantzismo group. Other early members included Marcos Muñoz, Simón Corral, and Leandro Katz.
These booklets were printed on red paper and folded in unique ways. They showed the start of Tzantzismo. The group members, called Tzántzicos, had long hair and dressed in a relaxed, artistic style. They often met at the home of painters Eliza Aliz and René Aliz.
There, they planned poetry readings that were like plays. On April 26, 1962, the first Tzántzicos group presented their show, Four Screams in the Dark. This event created a feeling of rebellion against the old ways of writing in Ecuador.
Important writers and painters supported them. With the help of poet Euler Granda, they started a radio show called Ojo del pozo. On this show, they read poems and short radio plays. The Tzántzicos later met on Friday nights at a cafe they called "77 Café." They talked about poetry, politics, and other cultural topics.
The first official statement of the Tzántzicos was signed on August 27, 1962. It was signed by Marco Muñoz, Alfonso Murriagui, Simón Corral, Teodoro Murillo, Euler Granda, and Ulises Estrella.
Contributions to Film
From 1967 to 1970, Ulises Estrella was the first director of the University Film Club. He also taught literature at the Theater School and the Favio Paccioni Art Center.
In 1976, he helped make a black and white movie called Fuera de Aquí. This film won an award at a festival in Uzbekistan. In 1980, he returned to the House of Ecuadorian Culture and started its Film section. He also produced a documentary film called "Cartas al Ecuador."
With help from UNESCO, Ulises Estrella worked on a project to save old Ecuadorian films. They saved 95 Ecuadorian movies, totaling over 42 hours of film. These old films were transferred to a newer format to prevent them from being destroyed. Most of these films were documentaries, and some were fiction. They were made between 1929 and the 1960s.
In 1990, he became the president of the Association of Employees and Workers of the House of Ecuadorian Culture. He also began writing movie reviews for a newspaper. Ulises Estrella led several film clubs and created the Film Department at the Central University in 1971. He also founded the Cinemateca in 1982. This film archive now carries his name: the Ulises Estrella National Cinematheque of Ecuador. It focuses on saving, sharing, and teaching about films.
Personal Life
Ulises Estrella met Regina Katz in 1963. They had a daughter named Isadora Estrella Katz in 1969. From 1980 to 1984, he lived with film director Mónica Vásquez Baquero. Ulises Estrella passed away on December 27, 2014.
Poetry Books
- Clamor (1962) – a series with poems by Simón Corral, Leandro Katz, and Marcos Muñoz.
- Ombligo del Mundo (1966)
- Apenas de este mundo (1967)
- Convulsionario (1974)
- Aguja que rompe el tiempo (1980)
- Fuera del Juego (1983) – won the Jorge Carrera Andrade Award in Quito.
- Sesenta Poemas (1984)
- Interiores (1986)
- Cuando el sol se mira de frente (1989)
