Fernando Laverde, Colombian Stop Motion Pioneer

Fernando Laverde, Colombian Stop Motion Pioneer, Dies At 88

Laverde was born in Bogota on December 17, 1933, and died in the same city on May 18, 2022.

his work and influence reached far beyond Colombia’s borders during his lifetime. Fernando Laverde is a Colombian animator he made some films for children using scale models made from clay or Plasticine, photographing takes frame by frame, in montages that are a tribute to the patience of a craftman.

A director, screenwriter, and director of photography, he’s best recognized for directing a trio of animated features: La pobre viejecita (1977), Cristóbal Colón (1983), and Martín Fierro (1989).

Family was always paramount to Laverde, who considered his filmmaking a family business. His greatest support came from three sources. His wife Karina was a professional actress who helped design the costumes for his models, and more than just contributing their toys, his children also played key roles in Laverde’s filmmaking as they got older. His daughter Ana María would eventually become his assistant director and design sets, while his son Fernando Enrique built those sets, was Laverde’s director of photography, and operated the camera crane.