Gabriela von Bussenius Vega (1901-1975) was a Chilean journalist, writer and filmmaker, "Latin America's first woman film-maker".[1]
Gaby von Bussenius started writing articles and film reviews for Zig-Zag magazine as a girl.[2] In 1916 she married Salvador Giamastiani, one of the owners of the filmmaking company Chile Films. She wrote La agonía de Arauco, directing it with her husband in 1917: she was in charge of the story and art direction, and he was in charge of technical direction.[3] The film treated the capitalist exploitation of the indigenous Mapuche people of Araucanía:[1] following a woman who suffers the loss of her beloved husband and son.[3]
Von Busseniu continued anonymous collaboration on films with her husband until his death in 1921. She did not subsequently continue working on film but kept up activity as a writer.[2] She edited the magazines Mundo Social and Cinema Magazine, and wrote plays and a novel. She later spent many years in a retirement home, dying on January 28, 1975.[3]