AFC’s Conversations

For the purposes of HBO’s teen series “Euphoria”, Hungarian cinematographer Marcell Rév (Jupiter’s Moon, White God) went down a visual path that mixes the realism of dramatic situations with a sometimes-baroque stylization of the lighting. The result on the screen is the recreation of an entire universe, that of young people in 2019, whose thirst for life, whose free and sometimes destructive passions, are not so dissimilar to a famous Californian portrait painted by director Nicholas Ray in 1955… (FR)

After the astounding White God, in which dog hounds take control over town, the duet Kornél Mundruczó (director) - Marcell Rév (DoP) is back on the Croisette to present a strange political and religious allegory, that gives rise to an uplifting filmed visuals, shot on Kodak Vision3 5219 500T . Jupiter’s Moon is in official selection for the Palme d’Or.

British cinematographer Ben Richardson was discovered by international audiences in 2012 when his film Beasts of the Southern Wild received a Golden Camera Award at Cannes. Since then, he has signed off on a number of feature-length films. He is back this year on a Taylor Sheridan (author of the screenplay of Sicario and Hell or High Water) film, Wind River, a wintertime thriller filmed in the snowy Utah countryside. (FR)

For a Sundance audience, experiencing something magical and wondrous that seems almost impossible to realize (especially when it was made with so little money) is normal, but for Cannes, a director presenting their debut feature film that is also his cinematographers first feature film winning the Caméra d’or is indeed astounding. Such is the case for Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, photographed by Ben Richardson.

Unselfconsciously embracing its status as a remake of a concept film from Japan, Final Cut, by Michel Hazanavicius, is above all a comedy about the world of cinema, with a star-studded cast. This latest film from the director of The Artist with its hectic pace, its thirty-minute opening long take and its very particular construction, which is faithful to the original but has literally been translated into the language of French cinema, is being screened at the opening of the 75^th Cannes Film Festival. Jonathan Ricquebourg, AFC, is the director of photography and here, he recounts the behind the scenes of the shooting of this film, a great, ambitious game. (FR)

Like their other films, Tralala, by Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu, is an eccentric poem in which Mathieu Amalric, their favorite actor, plays a homeless musician who is visited by religious passion. Filmed between Paris and Lourdes (their hometown), this film is also a musical comedy where the different songs are sung by the actors themselves. Jonathan Ricquebourg, AFC, was behind the camera, and traveled alongside the filmmaker brothers on their strange journey to a city deserted by its pilgrims because of Covid. (FR)

Pierre Trividic and Patrick Mario Bernard have been directing films together since the 1980s. Their filmography reveals a taste for the strange and the fantastic, such as Le Cas Lovecraft (documentary), Dancing, L’Autre. With L’Angle mort, they offer us a cinema that engages simultaneously with political and romantic issues. We met Jonathan Ricquebourg, AFC, last year, to discuss Jean-Bernard Marlin’s vigorous film Sheherezade. Since then, he has also signed off on the image of Jean-Charles Hue’s Tijuana Bible, and is currently working with the Trividic-Mario Bernard tandem on their latest film, L’Angle mort. This film is presented by the ACID at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

Director of photography Rauno Ronkainen, President of the FSC (Finnish Society of Cinematographers), visited Paris to attend the retrospective organized in his honour at the Finnish Institute. During his visit, Michel Abramowicz, AFC, and François Reumont were able to ask him some questions about his profession and what it is like to work as a cinematographer in Finland.

In making the decision to produce a new adaptation of the greatest classic of Swedish literature, Norwegian filmmaker Erik Poppe (Utoya: July 22) had his work cut out for him. Because Jan Troell already made a screen adaptation in 1971 starring Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullman, then the two most famous Swedish and international film stars, it’s not an easy thing to make a contemporary remake… However, when you watch the film, you have to admit they’ve done a pretty good job in proposing a modern version of a classic tale in which the currently relevant themes of migration, women’s rights, and religion infuse each scene. John Christian Rosenlund, FNF, was in charge of the lighting on this saga, with an often-minimalistic staging.

On the occasion of his being awarded a lifetime achievement award, Philippe Rousselot, AFC, ASC, answered questions from Jean-Marie Dreujou, Caroline Champetier, and Denis Lenoir. During their conversation, which was broadcast live on the 2020 Camerimage Festival’s online platform, they discussed the start of his career in France and abroad, including his work with Nestor Almendros. In keeping with his relaxed attitude and straight-talking approach, this recipient of three César awards and one Oscar delighted his colleagues with many memories from shoots and a discussion of the risks a DP sometimes has to take, and the opportunities he has to seize, on set. (FR)

Robert Redford’s A River Runs Through It is the film that earned Philippe Rousselot, AFC, ASC, the Oscar for Best Cinematography in 1993. A restored version of the film is being screened this year at Cannes. This chronic of rural life in 1920s America depicts the lives of two brothers, played by Brad Pitt and Craig Scheffer. The cinematographer, who is currently preparing for the second instalment of David Yates’ Fantastic Beasts franchise, discussed this noteworthy film from his prestigious career with us. (FR)

Fred Grivois’ "Machine", co-written with Thomas Bidegain and Valentine Monteil, is a bit of a baroque concept. An intimate mixture of the kung-fu movie (with its codes and combat scenes) and a pure social drama, this series shows us a fugitive ex-solider who returns to her ancestors’ small town to escape the GIGN police forces that are hunting her down… When she gets a job as a temporary factory worker, she meets a charismatic Marxist foreman — and former heroin addict — who is facing a takeover by a large Korean firm. Played by Margot Brancilhon and Joey Starr, the project takes on an unexpected plot and visual journey under the guidance of Martin Roux, AFC. He shares with us his experience on this 6 48-minute episode series (soon to be broadcast on Arte) whose two first episodes were presented in the official competition at Series Mania*. (FR)

After the highly acclaimed The Favorite (Audience Award at Camerimage 2018), Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos has teamed up once again with Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan, ISC, BSC, on Poor Things. This project was largely shared in its making with actress Emma Stone - Oscar winner for Best Actress in 2017 -. Stone was the centrepiece of this project, giving her a probable chance of receiving a second statuette in 2024. This resolutely feminist fable tells the story of the journey and liberation of a dead young woman, brought back to life by a mad scientist, who implants in her a little girl’s brain... (FR)

In a deluge of wide-angle shots, Greek director Yórgos Lánthimos features a lesbian and Rock ‘n’ Roll version of Dangerous Liaisons at this year’s Camerimage Festival. A game of chess, of seduction, and of power between three women at the uppermost echelons of 1710 England. Natural lighting, fish-eye, and panoramic panning shots are on offer in this unusual historical picture, which is evocative of Barry Lindon for its use of natural lighting, the world of the theatre for its behind-closed-doors setting in a palace, and the world of music videos for its choice of lenses. The very Rock ‘n’ Roll cinematographer Robbie Ryan (a Rolling Stones pin affixed to his distressed blue jumper) participated in the traditional question-and-answer session following the end of the screening, just before midnight.

Robbie Ryan made a dazzling appearance in 2009 with the magnificent Fish Tank, directed by Andrea Arnold, and following a successful career shooting UK short films.
In 2011, he was won the Bronze Frog at Camerimage for Wuthering Heights, also directed by Andrea Arnold; they again have a film at Cannes this year. He has also shot three films for Ken Loach recently, and just finished the shoot of Yeh Din Ka Kissa (dir. Noah Baumbach) in New York – so definitely a DoP to watch…