Professional life

With the death of director and producer Idrissa Ouedraogo on Sunday, 18 February 2018, aged 64, Burkinabe and African cinema lost one of its most striking figures. During his long and rich career he directed over thirty films, including ten feature-length motion pictures, οf which Tilaï, awarded at Cannes in 1990 is especially memorable, as is the softness of Matthias Kälin’s images on Yaaba, shot in 1988. Jean-Paul Meurisse, one of the cinematographers who worked with him, pays tribute below.

It is with deep sadness that the AFC cinematographers share the news of the passing away of their friend and colleague Jean-Jacques Bouhon, AFC, on Wednesday, 27 September 2017 following a serious illness, at the age of 70. Besides his cinematographic work – notable examples of which are Coline Serreau’s Three Men and a Cradle, Thomas Gilou’s La Vérité si je mens, Patrick Bouchitey’s Lune froide, and Michel Sibra’s La Soule –, and his great human qualities, Jean-Jacques was an active member of our association, of the Image department of La fémis film school, and of the Superior Technical Commission (CST).

In between two Hollywood films, cinematographer Tom Stern, ASC, AFC, found the time to accept the invitation of Pierre-William Glenn, AFC, co-director of the Image department of La fémis film school, to direct a 3-day seminar at the school from 4-6 September 2017.

At a recent board meeting, Mike Eley, BSC, was elected the new President of the British Society of Cinematographers. He succeeds Barry Ackroyd, BSC, who headed the society from 2014 to 2017. Richard Andry, President of the AFC, greets in few words his accession to the Presidency of the BSC.

With the death of Michael Ballhaus, ASC, which occurred in Berlin on Tuesday, 11 April 2017 at the age of 81, cinematography has lost one of its most talented artisans. Director of Photography for Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Mike Nichols, amongst others, he constantly experimented during his forty-year-long career, filming each of his movies in a style that was often highly innovative. Whoever has seen The Marriage of Maria Braun will have been impressed by his impressive risk-taking, which was one of the great cinematographer’s hallmarks.

Jacques’ friends who were also eminent Steadicam cameramen sent us warm messages. His friends Garrett Brown – the inventor of the Steadicam® –, Chris Fawcett, Dan Kneece, Ruben Sluijter, Alessandro Brambilla, as well as Jack Churchill (Ted Churchill’s brother), and, from France, Loïc Andrieu, Philippe Bordelais, and Jake Russell – a cameraman that Jacques trained over the last few years and who filmed Frédéric Ducomet-Boquier’s film Steadicam Paradox(e)– all paid tribute to a man who never stopped training, advising, and supporting Steadicam operators who are passionate about their profession, and who are today the world’s best in the field, including his own son, Valentin. Régis Prosper, of Cartoni France, the current importer of the Steadicam and an associate member of the AFC, also shared his memories with us.

Few days ago, we received from Kees Van Oostrum, President of the ASC, these kind words addressed to all the members of the AFC. “I was going to write you last week when I got the news that the great Raoul Coutard had passed away but then decided that I was going to write my upcoming Presidents desk article for the ASC magazine about him and my personal connection. I never had the privilege of meeting him but he was of great influence to me as a cinematographer. Anyway included is the article that will go out in the next issue but wanted to share it with you already.”

Raoul Coutard has passed away! The famous cinematographer and director left this world on Tuesday, 8 November 2016, near Bayonne, at the age of 92. With his passing, a major figure of the cinematography world of the last sixty years – from 1956 with Pierre Schoendoerffer’s La Passe du Diable to 2001 (Philippe Garrel’s Sauvage Innocence) – has taken his last bow.

Cinematographers Richard Andry, Jean-Jacques Bouhon, Céline Bozon, Jean-Noël Ferragut, Pierre-William Glenn, Pierre Lhomme, Baptiste Magnien, Gilles Porte, and Jean-François Robin, all AFC members, share what the memory of Raoul Coutard and his personality brings to their minds.

We were saddened to learn of the death of Bernard Château, “a camera car specialist” as he liked to call himself, on Monday, 15 August 2016, at the age of 83. His long career spanned feature-length and short films, television advertisements, second units, and much more. But the project of which he was proudest was his work on Gérard Oury’s cult classic, La Grande vadrouille. We will always remember his attendance at the Micro Salon in 2011 and 2014, his friendly nature, and his two last camera cars, which he took care of like the apples of his eye!

Paris, July 2016 – François Hollande, President of the French Republic, nominated Nathalie Coste-Cerdan General Director of cinema school La fémis, following the recommendation made by Audrey Azoulay, Minister of Culture and of Communication. Coste-Cerdan will take over this role from her predecessor, Marc Nicolas, as of 15 July 2016.

We were saddened to learn of the passing of British cinematographer Sue Gibson on 27 July 2016 as a result of her battle with cancer at the age of 64. In 1992, she was the first woman to be invited by her peers to join the BSC, of which she served as President from 2008 to 2010.

The AFC’s members are deeply saddened to announce the death of their colleague and friend Denys Clerval on 9 June 2016 following a prolonged illness, at the age of 82. Denys Clerval was a loyal and long-standing member of our association, and enjoyed taking part in our family of cinematographers. As a cinematographer, he was particularly proud of his work on François Truffaut’s films Stolen Kisses (1968) and Mississippi Mermaid (1969), on René Allio’s film The Shameless Old Lady (1965), and Ruy Guerra’s film Erendira (1983).

The announcement of the passing of a long-time friend often takes one by surprise: in reaction, one wishes that one had heard about the news earlier. The passing of Armand Marco, AFC Member, occurred on Saturday, 20 February 2016 at the age of 77 in Yerres. It was sad news for many of us. Armand was one of the pillars of our association for many years.

We were saddened to learn of the passing of our colleague Paul Bonis, cinematographer, on Thursday, 2 July 2015 at his residence in Bono (Morbihan, France). He was 76 years old. Having dedicated forty years of his life to the cinema, he said that his “master” was Claude Chabrol, who was almost a “surrogate father” to him.

The CNC has noted a trend towards an increase in the number of films being produced and their budgets in comparison with the same period in 2014. The budgets of these films have risen by 35%, the average budget per film by 16%, and the number of big-budget films has also increased.

Head of CNC film agency sketches out her roadmap

We have heard with sorrow the news of the passing away, on Tuesday December 2^nd, of our colleague and dear friend the great british cinematographer Gerry Fisher, Honorary member of the BSC.