Francisco Norden

Son of an Austrian father and a Colombian mother, Francisco Norden was born in Belgium. He studied architecture at the National University in Bogotá. He finished architecture in Paris at L'Ecole National des Beaux Arts, and then in London at the Polytechnic School of Architecture. In 1955 he returned to Colombia and dedicated himself to reviewing film and theater in newspapers and magazines. In 1958 he began studies at the Institute of Advanced Cinematographic Studies in Paris (IDHEC), and upon returning to Colombia, in late 1960, he began making institutional short films. Over the next 20 years, he gradually had the opportunity to make full length documentaries and began winning awards in the mid-70's. In 1984 Norden released "Condores No Entierran Todos Los Dias" (A Man of Principle), a feature film based on the novel of the same name written by Gustavo Alvarez Gardeazábal. This film focused on violence in Colombia in the 40s and 50s, and won awards at various film festivals. Norden continued making films in the 80s and 90s.