'' (1930) The first motion picture was shown in Bolivia on June 21, 1897, probably on a
Vitascope. The press paid more attention to "illicit acts" committed in the dark theater than to the pictures themselves, and authorities made it difficult to hold screenings, some of which were held in people's homes. The
Biograph was introduced in 1899, and by 1905 popular exhibitions were held in
La Paz. A wave of documentary films emerged in the 1910s and 1920s directed by pioneer multitalented filmmakers working in an artisanal mode. Of note is
La Gloria de la Raza (1926),directed by Luis Castillo in collaboration with anthropologist Arturo Posnasky. Optical effects and miniature models were used to depict the decline and disappearance of Tiahuanaco culture, and the film helped to spur the formation of Condor Mayku Films. The first motion picture made in Bolivia was
Personajes históricos y de actualidad in 1904. The only surviving film from Bolivia's silent era is
Wara Wara, directed by José Velasco Maidana in 1930. The first sound film was
Infierno Verde (
aka ''
La Guerra del Chaco , 1936) directed by Luis Bazoberry. The first color film was
Donde nace un imperio (1957) directed by Jorge Ruiz. Many filmmakers battled with both censorship by government authorities and mainstream media criticism within Bolivia, which attacked the films for their leftist social critiques and for focusing on indigenous peoples. For example, in 1953 Bolivian authorities tried to block
Vuelve, Sebastiana from entering the Servicio Oficial de Difusión Radiotelevisión y Espectáculos film festival because “a movie about Indians couldn’t possibly represent Bolivia in a film festival in a foreign country.” Though production budgets can be much lower than in the past, independent filmmakers still have to make sacrifices to fund their projects. Patrick Cordova, writer, director, and producer of
Erase una ves en Bolivia had to sell his car to finish the film. Many of the films made are still about
socialist realism, but there are also genre films and
auteur cinema. Notable directors include Juan Carlos Valdivia, Eduardo López, and
Alejandro Pereyra. Accessible formats have also allowed Bolivia to foster a strong indigenous film community. The Cinematography Education and Production Center (CEFREC) is an organization dedicated to promoting film and video production among indigenous nations in Bolivia. Ian Sanjinés, Jorge Sanjinés’ son, founded the Center in 1989. CEFREC offers technical training in sound, film production, post-production, and script writing for the indigenous nations of Ayamara, Guarani, Trinitatio and Quechua. One of the indigenous filmmakers involved with CEFREC explains, “Video serves as a medium to save that which our grandparents can no longer tell.” ==Feature length films==