César A. Vivanco

Biography

César Augusto Vivanco Luna is a filmmaker and anthropologist from Cusco, recognized as one of the leading promoters of documentary filmmaking and visual anthropology in Peru. His film career began between 1970 and 1971 as Werner Herzog's principal assistant during the filming of Aguirre, the Wrath of God, an experience he repeated between 1981 and 1982 on Fitzcarraldo. Between 1982 and 1995, he lived in France, a period in which he solidified his relationship with documentary filmmaking, produced his first films, and simultaneously developed his photography. Since 1996, he has dedicated himself to making documentaries related to ecology, the environment, and cultural heritage, as well as developing exhibitions and outreach activities. Over more than three decades of work, he has participated in over 42 documentaries, primarily filmed in Cusco, the Peruvian Amazon, and other regions of the country. He is also known for his research and documentation of Amazonian communities, as well as for developing approaches such as videograms and visual anthropology. His extensive body of work has also contributed to the creation of one of the most important audiovisual archives on the cultural and anthropological memory of Cusco and Peru.