Betty Kaplan

Betty Kaplan is an American film director born in New York City and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. She directed Doña Bárbara, Almost a Woman and Of Love and Shadows. Kaplan currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Her previous work includes "BOLIVAR," an entire mini-series for television Kaplan wrote and directed, financed by Venezuelan state television, dramatizing Simon Bolivar historical saga liberating South America from Spain. An annual televivision event in Venezuela.

Also "CAMINOS QUE ANDAN," a series of fourteen docu-dramas on the lives of Latin American writers that she filmed in France, Spain, Venezuela, Perú, England and Nicaragua for the National Television of Venezuela.

In Of Love and Shadows, an adaptation of a Chilean novelist Isabel Allende book, Kaplan gave Spaniard actor Antonio Banderas his first English language movie role; introducing Banderas to Hollywood. Often Kaplan writes, directs and produces her own film projects.

Current film project: "El Numero Uno". The fascinating tragic story of Venezuela's Johnny Carson, Renny Ottolina, its top media personality. Local media moguls and politicians felt so threatened by Ottolina's popularity they forced him out television, but he came back much stronger on radio. Venezuelans tired of corruption were looking for a political savior and Renny Ottolina decided to run for president. Three months before the elections, Ottolina was killed. "El Numero Uno".