Julia Vargas-Weise | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1942 Cochabamba, Bolivia |
| Died | (aged 76) Barcelona, Spain |
| Occupation(s) | Photographer, screenwriter, educator, film director |
| Notable work | Sealed Cargo |
Julia Vargas-Weise (1942 – 1 April 2018) was a Bolivian photographer, screenwriter, educator, and film director.
Julia Vargas-Weise was born in Cochabamba in 1942. [1] She trained professionally at the Ecole des Arts et Métiers in Vevey, Switzerland. [1]
She became known as the first female professional photographer in Bolivia. [2] She overcame discrimination to obtain fair recognition and valuation of her work, [2] and from 1963 to the end of her life, she participated in 30 international photo exhibitions, including 17 solo exhibitions. [1]
In 1980, she founded and directed a non-governmental organization which held audiovisual workshops for children and adolescents. [1] In 1984, she worked in the film industry for the first time, as a still photographer for the feature Los Hermanos Cartagena . [2] She went on to direct three films, including 2015's Sealed Cargo , which was selected as Bolivia's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, but was not nominated. [3] It also won special jury awards at the International Film Festival of India [4] and the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. [5]
Julia Vargas-Weise died in Barcelona on 1 April 2018 at age 76. [1] [2]