Conversations with cinematographers

After Roger Deakins, Ed Lachman is without a doubt the second most legendary cinematographer in competition at Cannes. The director of photography and director, a native of New Jersey, will be joining his friend Todd Haynes in offering us a film that stands somewhat apart from the rest of those that make up the cinematic landscape of 2015. A film shot in Super 16, recreating the New York of the 1940s, and reuniting Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. We took this opportunity to have him share his love of film with us.

Darius Khondji, AFC, ASC, is collaborating with Woody Allen for the fifth time on Irrational Man, an official Out of Competition selection at the 68^th Cannes Film Festival. _ Having most recently worked on several period pictures—James Gray’s The Immigrant, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and Magic in the Moonlight, and The Devil You Know, a pilot for a series directed by Gus Van Sant—Darius admits finding great pleasure in returning to a contemporary universe.

Christophe Beaucarne, AFC, SBC, works with loyal directors who call upon his talent to make most of their films. The list of these directors, from very different worlds – including the Larrieu brothers, Anne Fontaine, Bruno Podalydès, Mathieu Amalric –, recently grew with the addition of the name of Christophe Gans. The work of Christophe Beaucarne on Beauty and the Beast was nominated for the 2015 César awards. After Mr. Nobody, The Brand New Testament, a film by Jaco Van Dormael, was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, the opportunity for Christophe Beaucarne to make his second film with his Belgian compatriot.

Roger Deakins, BSC, ASC, is not just a legendary cameraman. He is a cinema aficionado who constantly pursues his visual research with great simplicity and enthusiasm. Although he hasn’t been awarded a golden statue in his over thirty-year-long career (despite his twelve nominations!), his close collaboration with the Cohen brothers has had a lasting impact on multiple generations of cameramen. After working with Denis Villeneuve on Prisoners two years ago, he is worked alongside him again on Sicario, one of the favorites to win the Palm d’Or at Cannes this year.

Belgian cinematographer Benoît Debie, SBC, recently worked with Wim Wenders on Every Thing Will Be Fine and with Ryan Gosling on Lost River. Now a fixture in Gaspar Noé’s world after having filmed Irreversible and Enter the Void, Benoît Debie is once again working with the director on Love, a film that has sparked lots of discussion on the “Croisette” at Cannes. This 3D sexual melodrama tells the story of a torrid love affair that contains all sorts of promises, games, and excesses, was selected for the 68^th Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screening.

In a filmed interview, cinematographer Michael Seresin, BSC, discusses his philosophy and his passion for lighting, he mentions the advantages of Cameraimage’s diversity, continues with his experiences on shooting a film in digital. He misses film…, the most important thing is to tell a story.

In a filmed interview, cinematographer Nancy Schreiber discusses her experience at Cameraimage, her concerns regarding the increased accessibility of the profession and the loss of craftsmanship that this has engendered. She ends the interview with her fears regarding the loss of control over the integrity of the image from its production to the final version.

Starring Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Eileen Atkins, French release: 22 October 2014.
Magic in the Moonlight: the witching hour, spiritualism, and flying mattresses. Director of photography Darius Khondji, AFC, ASC discusses his fourth film with Woody Allen.

Alain Marcoen, SBC, and camera operator Benoît Dervaux form the team that is the backbone of the Dardenne Brothers’ films. With the release of Two Days, One Night — their most minimalistic film yet in terms of the screenplay, yet also perhaps their most visually elaborate — the chief operator from Liege shares with us what it is like to work with the Brothers. (FR)

André Turpin is a director of photography, filmmaker and scriptwriter from Quebec. In 1995 he produces his first film, Zigrail, followed by Cosmos, a year later. In 2002 he receives the Jutra Award and the Genie Award for the best production, the best script and the best photographic direction for his third feature film, Un crabe dans la tête (Soft Shell Man).

After the international success of The Artist (first screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011), Michel Hazanavicius has once again joined forces with Thomas Langmann, Bérénice Bejo and Guillaume Schiffman, AFC, for a movie that takes place during the war in Chechnya. The subject is somewhere between current events and history at a time when Russian pressure is once again being exerted on the former territories of the Soviet Empire... This dual interview was conducted during colour timing on the film The Search. (FR)

For The Homesman, his second film as a director, American actor Tommy Lee Jones enjoyed being in the great outdoors that are so dear to his heart. We remember his film Three Burials, which won Best Screenplay in 2005. This new Western offers Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC, another opportunity to film the American West. (FR)

A fan of the universe of Gaspar Noë, star Ryan Gosling has availed himself of the services of Benoît Debie, SBC, to create the visuals on his first, strange feature-length film that oscillates between social fable and fantasy story. "Lost River" is one of the most anticipated films in the “Un certain regard” selection this year at the 67^th Cannes Film Festival. (FR)

Josée Deshaies, who we have already met to discuss Before I Forget, by Jacques Nolot, Heartbeat Detector, by Nicolas Klotz, Rebecca H., by Lodge Kerrigan, and House of Tolerance, by Bertrand Bonello, discusses Saint Laurent, which is in the official competition at Cannes this year. This is Bertrand Bonello’s sixth feature film; she has contributed to every single one. (BB)

Christophe Beaucarne has been working for over twenty years with very different directors on films with very different visual worlds. He has worked with the Larrieu brothers on Un homme, un vrai and Peindre ou faire l’amour, and with Anne Fontaine on Coco Before Chanel and Perfect Mother, with Jaco Van Dormael on Mr. Nobody, and recently with Christophe Gans on Beauty and the Beast. With The Blue Room, the fourth feature film by Mathieu Amalric, competing in the Un Certain Regard section, Christophe Beaucarne is once again working with Amalric, following their collaborations on Stade de Wimbledon and Tournée. Adapted from the eponymous novel by Georges Simenon, Mathieu Amalric plays the lead role alongside Léa Drucker. (BB)

For his fourth movie, The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012), director Felix Van Groeningen once more teamed up with director of photography Ruben Impens. The movie tells the love story of Elise and Didier (Veerle Baetens en Johan Heldenbergh). They couldn’t be happier when their daughter Maybelle is born.
However, when Maybelle turns six, she becomes seriously ill and her illness impacts Didier and Elise’s relationship. Both of them react differently to the diagnosis, but don’t have any other choice but to fight together for their daughter. The Broken Circle Breakdown was an enormous success and the movie won many international prices, one of which was a César for the Best Foreign Film. It was also nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film.

After Cannes in May and Camerimage in November, Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, photographed by Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC, was honored at the American Society of Cinematographers Awards in February where many attending delighted in the rumor that Nebraska would upset Gravity and steal the top prize. Afterall, cinematographers were voting for what they recognize to be the year’s greatest achievement in lighting and photography, not visual effects. The rich black and white imagery has a raw and simple beauty that is unique today; it defiantly counterpoints the glossy, artificial, commercial-advertising look found in most other Hollywood Studio movies.

Life’s vicissitudes led Dominique Bouilleret, AFC, to cross paths with Alain Resnais on his last film. Discussing Life of Riley, he reveals the gaiety and creativity of a very pleasant shooting. He is so glad to have been able to share this creativity with the great director and is only sorry that he won’t be able to repeat the experience. Following Alain Resnais’ demise, unfortunately their collaboration has ended just as it was beginning.