Bolivia: Lens on Latin America

Faculty and Staff

Ismael Saavedra, Academic Director
Ismael Saavedra's experience and knowledge of his native Bolivia was formed through his careers; first as an Air Force pilot, then as a student of law and law professor, and eventually through his film career. He received his BA in Law at the University of San Andres, La Paz, in 1977 where he went on to receive his PhD in Political Science and Law in 1980.  After leaving Bolivia in 1980, he dedicated himself to his work in ethnographic and documentary film production.  Among his many film credits, he has worked on Deception (Academy Award, 1992), Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo (Academy Award nomination, 1984), Chuquiago (a classic Bolivian ethnographic film, 1976), and Landscapes of Memory (prizes at Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals, 1997). In Mr. Saavedra's own words, he has always seen his film work as an effort to educate the world about the problems of his own country, Latin America and the world. Mr. Saavedra has been an Academic Director for SIT in Bolivia since fall 1999.

Read about Academic Director Ismael Saavadra's work on social justice and documentary filmmaking.