Filmmaker Jose Luis Orbegozo Traces Ancestors in Basque Country

The Colombian will turn his journey to the Altzaga farmhouse into a documentary, exploring family memory and migration.

Image of a traditional Basque farmhouse in a green setting.
IA

Image of a traditional Basque farmhouse in a green setting.

About eight years ago, Colombian filmmaker Jose Luis Orbegozo arrived at the Altzaga farmhouse in Azpeitia to follow the trail of his ancestors.

Colombian filmmaker and producer Jose Luis Orbegozo arrived at the Altzaga farmhouse in Azpeitia approximately eight years ago, tracing his grandfather's ancestors. After learning online about a gathering of the Orbegozo family in Azpeitia, he drove there and met Jose Orbegozo, who lived at the property, aiming to learn more about his family's origins.
His grandfather, named Jose Orbegozo, worked in church construction in Colombia, and legends suggested his ancestors were Basque. Driven by curiosity, the filmmaker seeks to uncover this part of his family history through a documentary.
He has lived in New York for 27 years, working in television and promoting the work of young filmmakers. On his most recent visit to the Basque Country, encouraged by his wife, he decided to embark on a documentary project based on the stories of the Orbegozo family members he met there.
The film he intends to create, titled "Aqui vive Jose Orbegozo? Jose Orbegozo hemen bizi al da? Zenbat bizimodu izan ditzake izen bakar batek?" (Does Jose Orbegozo live here? How many lives can one name hold?), will explore migration and memory between the Basque Country, Colombia, and New York. It will weave together the lineage of the Orbegozo family, who have lived for centuries at the Altzaga farmhouse, with the story of the branch that migrated to Colombia.
He is currently in the Basque Country to secure resources for the project, meeting with producers and representatives of public institutions. His goal is for the documentary to be a co-production. He is also recording short interviews with Jose and Oihana Orbegozo, father and daughter from Altzaga, and Maria Luisa Orbegozo, as well as the author of the book Altzagako orbegozotarrak.
Colombian Orbegozo family members will also be featured, including Clara Ines and Juanita Orbegozo, the filmmaker's sister and daughter. Orbegozo himself is taking Basque language classes, intending to incorporate the language into his project.