We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Germán Augusto Rodriguez Laverde a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi GERMÁN AUGUSTO, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The most important risk was pursuing my dreams, and I believe the key moment for every artist is hearing the NOs—they define your path and career.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Colombian cinematographer Germán has crafted a distinctive style that captures deep emotions and feelings, seamlessly becoming one with the camera. His work has earned him consecutive awards for Best Cinematography and Best Short Film from Canon Colombia, as well as international recognition from Sony for “Image in Motion.” A finalist in Vans USA’s competition for Best Short Film, he has also won prestigious advertising awards, including Cannes for “The Bullet Pen” and again in 2024 for “Filtre Caps,” which also triumphed at the D&AD Festival in London.
Educated in Los Angeles under the mentorship of Yuri Neyman, a member of the ASC, Germán’s talent was recognized with a scholarship. His exhibition, The Lotus Pond, has been showcased in New York, Berlin, Los Angeles, and Barcelona. Named one of the emerging talents by The Independent Photographer under the direction of Steve McCurry, his work was also featured on the homepage of LensCulture in 2020. Additionally, he was nominated for Best Music Video at the Rolling Stone awards for his collaboration with musician Juan Pablo Vega.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I want to share a story that changed my life, and it goes like this:
“Millionaire Ride”
Interior-Exterior – Night – Outside Coq
I had requested an Uber ride. The confirmation came instantly, and soon a taxi arrived that matched the details on my app. Everything seemed normal. However, as the car reached 100th Street, a man suddenly emerged from the trunk. He grabbed my face with a cloth and pointed a gun directly at my head.
In that moment, it felt as if God, life, and a bit of courage pushed me to move my head. The shot, which was meant for me, instead shattered the passenger-side window.
The driver then slowed down, but not to help me—instead, he stabbed my leg. That’s when a fight for survival began inside the taxi. With my left hand, I defended myself to prevent them from shooting me in the body, while with my right hand, I fought off the knife.
I was stabbed several times, and then the second and third shots went off, smashing the window next to me into pieces. With each moment, I felt my strength fading.
But just when I thought I couldn’t go on, I gathered every last bit of energy I had and decided to do the unthinkable: I pushed myself with my legs and jumped out of the moving car. That leap saved my life.
I escaped those THIEVES!
(Ironically, the same bullets they intended to harm me with ended up being my way out).
It sounds like a movie, doesn’t it? But no, this was real. It happened to me on July 19th.
Today, with mixed emotions but immense gratitude, I can tell this story alive. Battered, yes, but alive and more aware than ever of how precious life is.
A piece of advice:
Don’t blindly trust any mobility app. Celebrate life, cherish the present, and never take anything for granted.
Sending a big hug to everyone!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Here’s the translated version of your story:
I want to share a story that changed my life, and it goes like this:
“Millionaire Ride”
Interior-Exterior – Night – Outside Coq
I had requested an Uber ride. The confirmation came instantly, and soon a taxi arrived that matched the details on my app. Everything seemed normal. However, as the car reached 100th Street, a man suddenly emerged from the trunk. He grabbed my face with a cloth and pointed a gun directly at my head.
In that moment, it felt as if God, life, and a bit of courage pushed me to move my head. The shot, which was meant for me, instead shattered the passenger-side window.
The driver then slowed down, but not to help me—instead, he stabbed my leg. That’s when a fight for survival began inside the taxi. With my left hand, I defended myself to prevent them from shooting me in the body, while with my right hand, I fought off the knife.
I was stabbed several times, and then the second and third shots went off, smashing the window next to me into pieces. With each moment, I felt my strength fading.
But just when I thought I couldn’t go on, I gathered every last bit of energy I had and decided to do the unthinkable: I pushed myself with my legs and jumped out of the moving car. That leap saved my life.
I escaped those THIEVES!
(Ironically, the same bullets they intended to harm me with ended up being my way out).
It sounds like a movie, doesn’t it? But no, this was real. It happened to me on July 19th.
Today, with mixed emotions but immense gratitude, I can tell this story alive. Battered, yes, but alive and more aware than ever of how precious life is.
A piece of advice:
Don’t blindly trust any mobility app. Celebrate life, cherish the present, and never take anything for granted.
Sending a big hug to everyone!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: german.rlaverde
