Salvo Basile, a beloved actor, producer, and cherished figure of Colombian cinema, died yesterday, January 26, at the age of 85 after a battle with cancer and related health complications. He worked with numerous international directors including Werner Herzog, Sergio Cabrera, Sergio Leone, Franco Rossi, and Mike Newell, and maintained a close relationship with the Cartagena Film Festival, where he served on the board of directors.
Born Salvatore Basile Ferreira in Naples, Italy, on May 18, 1940, his life was shaped early by hardship during World War II—experiences that instilled in him resilience, passion, and an enduring curiosity about the world. After emigrating from Italy in his youth, Salvo discovered his love for the performing arts, eventually finding his way to notable film work in Europe, alternating his acting career with work as an assistant director.
He arrived in Colombia in November 1968 as an assistant director on Gillo Pontecorvo’s historical war drama Burn!, starring Marlon Brando, filmed in part in the country. Captivated by the beauty, warmth, and spirit of Cartagena, Salvo made the city his home, embracing Colombian culture and building a life and career that would leave an indelible mark on audiences across Latin America.
Basile appeared in and contributed to a wide range of celebrated Colombian and international productions, including television favorites like Café con aroma de mujer and Pobre Pablo. He collaborated closely with acclaimed director Sergio Cabrera, as both actor and producer, on The Snail Strategy / La Estrategia del Caracol (1993), which screened at the Berlinale; Eagles Don’t Hunt Flies / Águilas no cazan moscas (1992), which won a Latin American cinema prize at Sundance; and Ilona Arrives With the Rain / Ilona llega con la lluvia (1996).
Over decades, Basile appeared in and contributed to a wide range of celebrated Colombian and international productions. His acting credits include Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), directed by Sergio Leone; Turn the Other Cheek (1974), by Franco Rossi; Cobra Verde (1987), by Werner Herzog; Banana Joe (1982), by Steno, opposite Italian superstar Bud Spencer; Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), by Mike Newell; Cartagena (2009), by Alain Monne; El cielo (2009), directed by his son Alessandro Basile; El Paseo 3 (2013), by Juan Camilo Pinzón; and Elephant, the Horse / Un caballo llamado Elefante (2017), by Andrés Waissbluth.
In addition to acting, Basile worked extensively as an assistant director on major productions, including Cobra Verde; The Mission (1986), by Roland Joffé; Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1987), by Francesco Rosi; Paganini (1989), by Dino Risi; and Scream of Stone (1991), by Werner Herzog.
Beyond his work in front of the camera, Basile played a vital role behind the scenes in both film and television. He began his career in Colombian television as a producer for RTI and later served as manager of Cenpro Televisión. He also pursued a distinguished career in journalism, reporting for Cromos magazine on the first Cuban visit following the reestablishment of diplomatic relations after the Cold War; covering the Cartagena Film Festival as a correspondent for El Tiempo; conducting red-carpet interviews at the Academy Awards; and contributing to the radio program Viva FM with Roberto Pombo.
Basile’s dedication to Colombia’s cinematic culture extended to festival leadership. He was a longtime member of the board of the Cartagena Film and Television Festival for more than twenty years and served as its vice president. Basile is survived by his wife Jacqueline Lemaitre, and three children Alessandro, Gerónimo and Mateo.
