Luis Armando Roche Dugand (Caracas, Venezuela, 21 November 1938) is a filmmaker, scriptwriter and director of Venezuelan theatre and opera. In 1999 he was recognized with the Venezuelan National Film Award.
Biography
First Years
Luis Armando Roche Dugand (n. November 21, 1938) is a filmmaker, scriptwriter and director of theatre and Opera. Son of Luis Roche (1888-1965) urbanist and amateur photographer, creator of Plaza Altamira (Caracas), and Beatrice Dugand de Roche (n. 1898). Both families of French descendants (Roche and Dugand), Italians (Gnecco on the mother's side) and Irish. The Roche, Irish, emigrated to France after the Battle of Limerick.
Roche attended elementary school in Caracas, in the schools: La Salle de la Colina, and in the IEA (Associated educational institutes). In 1945 he was interned at Colegio San José de Mérida, where he studied for 2 years. From 1947, his father was appointed Ambassador of Venezuela to the Argentine Republic. There he studied at the French school in Buenos Aires. In 1949, Roche was registered at the Nyack Junior School, elementary School near New York. After two years he enrolled in The Choate School, a college preparatory school, located in Wallingford, Connecticut, United States. Of that graduated institution in 1957 and later studied a year at the University of Tulaneen new Orleans. In 1959, he returned to Caracas.
Film work
Luis Armando Roche Dugand married in first marriage in 1961 with Marion Cisneros, with whom he had 4 children: Beatriz, Nadine, Alonso and Alvaro. That same year the couple decided to travel to Europe and Roche began their film studies. In 1962, he was accepted at the Institute of High Studies Cinematographic (IDHEC) of Paris, where he studied for 2 years, graduating from Director-producer. During that time he made his first works in cinema: Genevilliers, Port of Paris (1964), a documentary on the port of Paris. " Voyons dit ´ aveugle à sa femme soure, "Foncotú", Therese Desquiroux, Raymond Isidore and his house (1965) a documentary about a "Naif" builder of the town of Chartres, in France, who built his house with various pieces he found, such as bottles, tapas, Glass, etc. During his second year in the IDHEC made the short fiction we will see a blind said to his deaf wife (1965). From there, Roche continued her film studies at the University of California, Los Angeles headquarters and the University of Southern California.
In 1965, his father, Luis Roche died in Montreux (Switzerland) and Roche decided to return to Caracas.
Shorts and Medium
When he arrived in the capital of Venezuela he worked at the advertising agency ARS. He was assistant to Alejo Carpentier, and Bob Ferber, head of the public relations department. Also the renowned Venezuelan filmmaker Margot Benacerraf appointed him director of the Audiovisual, cinema, theatre and television Department of the National Institute of Culture (Inciba). During those years he participated as a founding member of the National Film Foundation of Venezuela. Likewise, he wrote and made, with the Inciba, the scripts and the short films: The Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria (1966) and the Devils of San Miguel (1966). Independently, he wrote and co-made, with Jean-Jacques Bichier, the short Victor Millán (1967). In Paris, he wrote and made a medium titled: Carlos Cruz Diez 1923-1977, in the Way of Color (1971), this work was followed by Ignacio "Indio" Figueredo (1972), a short on the great Harpist Ranger. Mérida is not a village (1972), an experimental short. Likewise, it wrote the script and made the medium as islands in the Time (1975), on the expedition directed by Charles Brewer-to the Tepuyes Sarisariñama and Jaua, located in the state Amazonas (Venezuela). He also produced, wrote and directed Virtuosos (1999), on the great Venezuelan popular musicians of the 20th century. He was also co-screenwriter with Diana Abreu of the short Bach in Zaraza (2000), a musical dream of an imaginary voyage of Johann Sebastian Bach to Venezuela.
Feature films
He was co-screenwriter with Fabrice Hélion and director of the feature film "Soy Yo" (1977). In this film he made his first actor role. The film was presented at several international festivals, including the Festival de Cannes (Un Certain Regard), Moscow and the San Sebastián film Festival. He continued as director with the secret thriller (1988) where he performed for the second time in one of his films. Two years later he directs Open Air (1996), where he was co-screenwriter with Jacques Espagne. In this film he played the character of Siefert. This work was based on the scientific experience of the voyage to the equinoctial lands of the explorers Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland and was awarded in many festivals. He continued with Yotama flying (2003) where he acted as director and co-screenwriter with Carlos Brito and Jacques Espagne. In 2011, he wrote the screenplay and suddenly directed the film (2011), a satirical and improvised comedy. In this film he also played three characters and composed several pieces of music. Suddenly, the film was presented in 2011 as part of the official selection at the St. Louis International Film Festival, USA.
Teatro y óperas
Como director y adaptador musical Roche ha presentado varios trabajos, entre los que destacan La Controversia de Valladolid (1997) de Jean-Jacques Carrière y Díaz Florían. Este montaje contó con la participación del Teatro Itinerante de Venezuela. Fue traductor del francés al español y adaptó La Novicia y la Virtud (1998) de Jean-Louis Bauer. Adaptador y director de escena de Ordo Virtutum (2000) de Hildegard von Vingen, pieza con la participación de la Cantoría Alberto Grau. También tradujo del francés al español, adaptó y dirigió El Señor Coliflor Florido los invita a su casa (2006) de Jacques Offenbach.
Publicaciones de Luis Armando Roche
“Aire Libre” de Luis Armando Roche/Jacques Espagne – Guion del filme de largometraje del mismo nombre - Fundación del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano 1996 – Capítulo Mérida
“Que boten mis cenizas al aire y se olviden de mi” Luis Buñuel Cineasta de Realidad y Sueños - Primera edición 2003 Comala – Segunda edición 2011 Createspace.com
“Asómate hacia adentro” - Toda memoria esconde un recuerdo (Entretelones de cine, teatro, ópera y vida…) - 2010 Createspace.com
"Papá Quizás ideas y memorias" - 2016 Createspace.com
"Guión del largometraje "Yotama Se Va Volando" amazon 2015
- “QUE BOTEN MIS CENIZAS AL AIRE Y SE OLVIDEN DE MI” – LUIS BUÑUEL CINEASTA DE REALIDAD Y SUEÑOS - GUÍA PARA UN PROCESO DE DESCUBRIMIENTO DE LAS PELÍCULAS DE LUIS BUÑUEL” - 2012 - “WINKS” - 2015 - “SABROSONGO” – 2016 - “PAPA QUIZÁS” (1 Y 2) - 2016 - “5 X 8 CON UNA SEMI CORCHÉA AGREGADA” – 2017 - “ESPECTÁCULOS 1” 2017 - “SEÑORES PAYASOS” - UNA NOVELA 2017 “ESPECTÁCULOS 2” 2017 “YOYÓ J. CRUDELET, HIJO DE SAN AGUSTÍN Y COTIZA – UNA NOVELA” – 2017 “ZAPEROCONGO, GENTE ORDINARIA Y EXTRAORDINARIA UNA NOVELA” 2017 “ARMANDUCHA, Y LAS TRES NARANJACONGAS – UNA NOVELA” 2017 “MONTÓN” 2017
Publicaciones y videos sobre Luis Armando Roche
“Luis Armando Roche, cine a través del espejo” de Ricardo Armas y Manuel Márquez – Primera edición, septiembre 2004 y segunda edición Createspace 2011
Honores y cargos honoríficos
- Presidente de la Comisión de Créditos del Instituto Autónomo de Cinematografía (CNAC) 1977
- Jurado para el Premio Nacional de Cinematografía del Concejo Nacional de la Cultura (CONAC) 1998
- Presidente de Honor del II Festival de Cine Franco-Hispano de Miami. 1998
- Junta directiva de la ANAC (Asociación de Autores Cinematográficos) 1998
- Premio Nacional del Cinematografía, Venezuela 1999
- Jurado Premio Escuela de Publicidad, Caracas 2003
- Jurado en el “Festival International du Film Pour les Jeunes et la Jeunesse”, Sousse, Túnez 2004
- Festival Internacional de Barquisimeto 2005 – En homenaje al cineasta - Presidente del jurado de Cortometraje 2005
- Junta Directiva de CAVEPROL (Asociación de Productores de CINE) 2006
- Miembro del Jurado del CNAC para la selección del film venezolano para representación de Venezuela en los Premios Goya en España. 2009
- Miembro del Jurado del 6.º Festival de Cine Venezolano en Mérida, Venezuela. 2010