Two Pictures a Day in Siberia

Less than a year ago, I was “engaged” as director of photography on 3000 Nights, a film directed by Mai Masri and filmed entirely in Jordan. During the project, and with the support of my focus puller Samuel Lahu and the AFC, I kept a daily photo journal entitled “Two Pictures a Day in Amman”.
Now that that film is in its final cut, I am headed to Siberia to work on a film directed by Safy Nebbou, which will be an adaptation of Sylvain Tesson’s novel, The Consolations of the Forest: Alone in a Cabin on the Siberian Taiga.
Safy and his production team have agreed to let me imagine another photo journal, which this time round will be entitled “Two Pictures a Day in Siberia,” and which will focus on my relationship to the image.
I will once again propose two photos a day, but the second photo will not be taken by Samuel, who has recently been offered his first movie as director of photography, but by a member of the camera crew who may or may not be one of my assistants… The name and surname of the photographer, his role on the film, and a brief legend will always accompany the still images in the journal.

Gilles Porte, AFC, director of photography

Synopsis
The Consolations of the Forest, by Safy Nebbou
Screenplay by Safy Nebbou and David Oelhoffen, based on the book of the same title by Sylvain Tesson
Produced by Nord-Ouest Films

It is the story of a man, Teddy, who tries to find peace on the banks of Lake Baikal, where he spent his childhood, hours away from any human settlement, or so he thinks… He will meet another man, named Sasha, who has been hiding in the woods for years while he waits for the statute of limitations for the crime he has committed to expire; a man like him, who dreams of only one thing: to go back to civilisation, to once again become part of human community and live amongst others…

A great friendship begins between these two men who seem to be complete opposites. A voyage of initiation into the heart of an inhospitable landscape, an adventure film with its suspense and its unexpected plot twists. An ecological poem in which nature is portrayed as an active entity. A film dedicated to life itself, to fraternity, to tolerance; a film that is a call for reconciliation between the elements and human beings.

Crew and facilities


Image crew
- Director of photography: Gilles Porte, AFC
- 1st camera assistant: Marie-Sophie Daniel
- 2nd camera assistant: Timothy Joanin
- Data manager (additional camera assistant): Anne-Angèle Bertoli
- Gaffer: Cyril Girard
- Key grip: Benjamin Vial

Facilities
- Camera rental: Panavision Alga Paris
- 3 Sony F55 / 1 Canon 5D / 1 Sony Alpha 4S
- 1 Zeiss GO set / 1 Cooke S4 set / 1 Angénieux Optimo 24-290mm zoom / 1 Fujinon 19-90mm zoom
- Digital laboratory: Technicolor Paris
- Visual effects:La Compagnie VFX.

Two Pictures a Day in Siberia: sixth week
From 1 to 7 march 2015

This is the continuation of the daily photo journal that Gilles Porte, AFC, has been keeping while shooting Safy Nebbou’s film The Consolations of the Forest in Siberia. Gilles has been asking other members of the team to give him one of the two photos sent to us every day, and writes the legends himself. Take a look at these images from their sixth week on location.

Two Pictures a Day in Siberia: fifth week
From 22 to 28 February 2015

This is the continuation of the daily photo journal that Gilles Porte, AFC, has been keeping while shooting Safy Nebbou’s film The Consolations of the Forest in Siberia. Gilles has been asking other members of the team to give him one of the two photos sent to us every day, and writes the legends himself. Take a look at these images from their fifth week on location.

Two Pictures a Day in Siberia: fourth week
From 15 to 21 February 2015

This is the continuation of the daily photo journal that Gilles Porte, AFC, has been keeping while shooting Safy Nebbou’s film The Consolations of the Forest in Siberia. Gilles has been asking other members of the team to give him one of the two photos sent to us every day, and writes the legends himself. Take a look at these images from their fourth week on location.

Two Pictures a Day in Siberia: third week
From 8 to 14 February 2015

This is the continuation of the daily photo journal that Gilles Porte, AFC, has been keeping while shooting Safy Nebbou’s film The Consolations of the Forest in Siberia. Gilles has been asking other members of the team to give him one of the two photos sent to us every day, and writes the legends himself. Take a look at these images from their third week on location.

Two Pictures a Day in Siberia: second week
From 1 to 7 February 2015

This is the continuation of the daily photo journal that Gilles Porte, AFC, has been keeping while shooting Safy Nebbou’s film The Consolations of the Forest in Siberia. Gilles has been asking other members of the team to give him one of the two photos sent to us every day, and writes the legends himself. Take a look at these images from their second week on location.

Two Pictures a Day in Siberia: first week
From 25 to 31 January 2015

Gilles Porte, AFC, is currently filming on location in Siberia. Like he did during Summer 2014 while shooting Mai Masri’s film 3000 Nights, he has offered to send us two snapshots from the daily photo journal he is keeping while working on The Consolations of the Forest, directed by Safy Nebbou. Although this time around, he is asking other members of the team to provide one of the two daily photos, whose legend he will write himself. Take a look at these images from their first week on location.