Paula Gaitán

Origin

Paris, France

Years active

1978

Genres

experimental cinema, documentary

Biography

Paula Gaitán is a multidisciplinary artist born in Paris and of French-Colombian descent, who established her artistic career in Brazil after moving to the country in 1977. She graduated in Visual Arts and Philosophy from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá before immersing herself in the Brazilian cultural scene, initially working as an art director on Glauber Rocha's film A Idade da Terra in 1978. Over the decades, she has made significant contributions as a filmmaker, visual artist, photographer, and poet, while also teaching Experimental Cinema at the Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage.

Her extensive filmography includes acclaimed works such as Uaka, Diário de Sintra, and Exilados do Vulcão, which was awarded best film at the 2013 Festival de Brasília. In addition to her filmmaking career, she has exhibited her visual art internationally, including exhibitions at MALBA in Buenos Aires. Her creative lineage is deeply intertwined with Brazilian culture, being the widow of iconic filmmaker Glauber Rocha and the mother of singer Ava Rocha.