Margoth Velásquez becomes the first Afro-Colombian actress to win the Masters Award

At the most recent edition of the Cartagena International Film Festival, which culminated last Monday, March 21, several national and international actors were honored for leading a lifetime of entertaining millions of people through their art reflected in the performances that shaped their careers.

In particular, much of the focus was on the Spanish director Rossy de Palma, who is one of the most precious jewels of the Spanish director, Pedro Almodóvar; but the focus was also on a Colombian woman, born in Buenaventura and who has dedicated much of her life to the trade, and although she has not participated in roles protagonists, their roles have contributed to the enhancement of many products made in the country.

This is Margoth Velásquez, the artist born in Buenaventura and who, in the 61st edition of FICCI, received the Victor Nieto Award for Mastery, being the first time in the history of this festival that an actress of African descent has received this distinction. It has been almost five decades of experience that has consolidated her as one of the most representative figures of acting in Colombia.

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Her secret is based on the perseverance and tenacity with which she plays each character, which ends up being decisive in each production she has participated in and she mentioned it in dialogue with the program La Red, where she also remembered that she was going to watch plays from a very young age, thus generating her first approach to the stage.

Velásquez recalled the moment when, together with other actors, “we had formed a group, so there were tasks that we were scheduling for next week, and we were saying 'Next week we are going to work on this Cazorla play, or whatever it', and I said 'And when are we going to set up Enrique Buenaventura's? 'and they said 'The other week or one of these day', until they said 'Monday.'”

In addition, he revealed in that dialogue with the entertainment magazine that an award such as Victor Nieto for the Master's Degree “is welcome”, and he made other confessions related to his years of experience in the trade.

“(...) It has given me not many friends, few, but very good ones and it has given me good companions and people who have taken me by the hand without realizing it towards happiness,” said the honoree at FICCI together with Rossy de Palma.

Some productions where Margoth Velásquez has performed

The Buenos Aires woman began her career in the tables at the age of 17, and later, she ventured into television in the production El alférez real, aired in 1974. Subsequently, she was present in several supporting roles that were loaded with both drama and humor, often advising the main characters.

Among the great productions that have been made recently, the actress has participated in Celia (based on the life of Celia Cruz) -2016-; 'Bolivar, an admirable struggle' -2019-; The Son of the Chief (based on the life of Martín Elias Díaz) (2020); La Saga, a family business (where she played 'Teodolinda', one of the clairvoyants of the series in the fourth generation of the Manrique family) -2005-; 'Oye bonita' -2010-; 'La esclava blanca', where she shared the set with actors such as Viña Machado, Norma Martínez, Orián Suárez and Miguel de Miguel, among others; and Gallito Ramirez, a successful production released in 1986 and whose cast was headed by Margarita Rosa by Francisco, Margalida Castro and Carlos Vives.

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