Hélène Louvart, AFC, winner of the "Robby Müller Award" 2023

Contre-Champ AFC n°338

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The Robby Müller Award is a collaboration between the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), the Netherlands Society of Cinematographers (NSC) and Andrea Müller-Schirmer, Robby Müller’s wife. For our upcoming edition the award goes to French cinematographer Hélène Louvart, whose cinematography is also featured in Limelight title, Un petit frère, by director Léonor Serraille.

“In most of her works, the signature of Hélène Louvart is recognizable from the very first glance and the very first shot. Louvart’s gaze unfolds as a constant becoming, a physical, instinctive process of evolving and dissolving. Her visuals are effortlessly synchronised with the rhythm of natural breathing, as if they were shot from within and cross the very line between screen and viewer.” 
Robby Müller Award Jury

Each year, the award honours an ‘image maker’ (director of photography, filmmaker or visual artist) who, in the spirit of the late Dutch cinematographer, Robby Müller, has created an authentic, credible and emotionally striking visual language throughout their oeuvre. During the festival, the winner is awarded a gallery print of one of Robby Müller’s rare Polaroids, as well as the opportunity to present a masterclass on their work.

Helene Louvart (1964) is a French cinematographer, who studied at the prestigious École nationale supérieure Louis-Lumière in Paris. She is a member of French Society of Cinematographers (AFC) and boasts an impressive international oeuvre, having worked with renowned directors such as Wim Wenders, Agnès Varda, and Alice Rohrwacher. 

Louvart’s cinematography is known for titles such as Un petit frère by director Léonor Serraille (also featured in the Limelight programme) ; IFFR CineMart project and winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at Berlinale, Never Rarely Sometimes Always by Eliza Hittman ; and A Vida Invisivel by Karim Aïnouz.

In the upcoming edition, the Robby Müller Award will be presented on January 29 at ‘de Doelen’ (Rotterdam). The jury consisted of Evgeny Gusyatinskiy (IFFR), Mercedes Martínez-Abarca (IFFR), Andrea Müller-Schirmer, Josje van Erkel (NSC), Jay Rabinowitz (ACE) and Richard van Oosterhout (NSC).

Winners per edition
- 2022 : cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Thailand) 
- 2021 : filmmaker Kelly Reichardt (USA)
- 2020 : cinematographer and writer Diego García (Mexico).

More informations on IFFR website (IFFR 2023 : 25 January – 5 February)