Eulogio Nishiyama

Directing • 1920-12-27 • Cuzco, Peru

Eulogio Nishiyama Gonzales was born in Cusco on December 12, 1920. The son of a Cusqueñan mother and a Japanese father, he showed an early interest in film and photography, beginning his work in these fields in 1939. He was a pioneer in documenting the life and culture of Cusco and the Andean region of Peru, producing numerous short and medium-length films about festivals, rituals, and Indigenous communities, many in 8mm and 16mm formats. He took part in international productions and co-directed Kukuli (1961), the first Peruvian feature film entirely in Quechua. In 1955, he co-founded the Cine Club Cusco and went on to receive numerous national and international awards, including honors in Italy, Uruguay, and Mexico. He also taught photography, collaborated with institutions such as the National Institute of Culture, and exhibited his work in Japan. He passed away in Cusco on November 4, 1996, leaving behind an invaluable legacy as a filmmaker, photographer, and preserver of Andean cultural memory.