Idéale Audience

Le Monde, 6 janvier 2007

Les relations entre le cinéma et la télévision se tendent soudainement.
Les films ne sont plus des " produits d’appel " pour les chaînes de télévision. Ils ne font plus forcément recette. Les programmateurs des chaînes leur préfèrent les séries, souvent américaines ou les fictions télévisées, dont l’audience est plus prévisible.

For better or for worse, the 17th annual Micro Salon was in the spirit of the times : the number of visitors at this year’s Micro Salon shrank. In the eyes of our partners with stands at the event this was a positive thing (although our sister-organizations on the other hand are always trying to reach a broader audience). The reason ? Quite simple : fewer visitors means more quality time for discussion with the exhibitors !

When he is asked about his best memory from Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri, British cinematographer Ben Davis tells us about his first meeting with Frances McDormand who very seriously said to him : “You know, Ben, I want you to film me like John Wayne in this film.” This film is therefore an authentic Western, with a sheriff, a small town, and an avenger, all of whom are seeking redemption. He discusses the film of Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, 7 Psychopaths), which was a great audience success at Camerimage.

The 17th Plus Camerimage Festival was held between November 28 and December 5, 2009 in Łódź, Poland. This year’s international jury, composed of chief designer Alan Starski and directors of photography Dean Cundey, ASC, CSC, Edward Lachman, ASC, Igor Luther, Phil Meheux, BSC, and Anastas Michos, ASC, had to decide between 17 feature films.

"Baby Reindeer" was undoubtedly one of the year’s most striking pieces in terms of writing, acting, and audience impact. In just a few months, it quickly became one of Netflix’s flagship series, largely due to its creator Richard Gadd, who also stars as the lead. Gadd bravely brings to the screen an extremely grave and personal episode from his own life in an unprecedented manner. This series is groundbreaking in its audacity, proving that even the boldest projects, initially seeming far from mainstream, can captivate the public. Here we reflect on the making of this series with Krzysztof Trojnar, who was the cinematographer for the first four episodes, directed by Weronika Tofilska. (FR)

For her first film, filmmaker Ameen Nayfeh chose to plunge her viewers into the Kafkaesque experience of daily life in Palestine. Separated from his wife and children by 200 meters (she lives and works on the other side of the wall, in Israel), Mustafa has no choice but to communicate with them every evening by a childish game of turning the lights on and off. But when his son is the victim of an accident, he tries to gain access to the Jewish State by any means possible. Elin Kirschfink, AFC, SBC, was the cinematographer of this audacious testimony, which already received the Audience Award at the Venice Film Festival this year. (FR)

C’est le seul festival auquel j’ai assisté où l’audience applaudit chaleureusement quand le nom du chef opérateur apparaît au générique. A Plus Camerimage, c’est possible de voir un film et de rencontrer son chef opérateur immédiatement après la projection pour discuter avec lui.
Il y a à la fois des projections et une compétition (courts, longs, clips, documentaires) des rétrospectives, des conférences. Il y a aussi, surtout, des ateliers, où des professionnels de renom partagent leurs techniques. Leur amour de leur métier et leur enthousiasme sont extrêmement communicatifs.

Récompensé pour l’ensemble de sa carrière par le Lifetime Achievement Award, Peter Biziou, BSC, était à l’honneur cette année à Camerimage. Une rétrospective a permis aux festivaliers de (re)découvrir certains de ses plus grand succès, et une conférence sur l’ensemble de sa carrière a été donnée, devant une salle comble. Cette conférence a mis l’accent sur quatre films-clés de sa filmographie, avant de s’élargir à toutes les questions que l’audience pouvait se poser. (MC)

After more than 10 years of absence, the filmmaker behind The Godfather and Apocalypse Now returns with an extremely personal project in which he has invested a significant portion of his fortune. This is Megalopolis, a fable aimed at younger generations that reinterprets classical texts from ancient Rome in the context of a futuristic city reminiscent at times of Batman’s Gotham. It is also a family film with many main roles, featuring extensive sets and special effects to immerse the audience in this anticipatory atmosphere. The film is shot by Romanian-born cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr., ASC, a loyal collaborator of the director for nearly 20 years. The film is in Official competition for the 77th Palme d’Or.