Cannes Market Dailies

« PIERRE ANGÉNIEUX TRIBUTE » to DARIUS KHONDJI (A.F.C., A.S.C.*) and « ANGÉNIEUX SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT » to EVELIN VAN REI Friday May 27, 2022 at 8pm Buñuel Theater, Palais des Festivals

Darius Khondji @ Peter Lindbergh

As an official partner of the Cannes Festival since 2013, the premium cinema lens manufacturer Angénieux hosts the “Pierre Angénieux Tribute” every year to celebrate an exceptional cinematographer’s career. The star-studded special ceremony is opened by General Delegate Thierry Frémaux and presented by French journalist Pierre Zéni, at the Palais des Festivals. This event represents a unique opportunity to spotlight cinematography professionals, without whom cinema would not exist.

This year internationally renowned French-Iranian cinematographer Darius Khondji will receive the prestigious “Pierre Angénieux Tribute”.

He will be the ninth director of photography to receive this prestigious tribute after Philippe Rousselot (AFC*, ASC*) in 2013, Vilmos Zsigmond (HSC*, ASC) in 2014, Roger A. Deakins (BSC*, ASC) in 2015, Peter Suschitzky (ASC) in 2016, Christopher Doyle (HKSC*) in 2017, Edward Lachman (ASC) in 2018, Bruno Delbonnel (AFC, ASC) in 2019 and Agnès Godard (AFC) in 2021. Darius Khondji has shot in France several times, with Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, among  others.

His career, however, has primarily been built internationally, along with leading figures such as David Fincher, Bernardo Bertolucci, Alan Parker, Neil Jordan, Roman Polanski, Danny Boyle, Woody Allen, Sydney Pollack, Michael Haneke, Wong Kar-wai, James Gray, Bong Joon-ho, Nicolas Winding Refn, Joshua and Ben Safdie or most recently with Alejandro González Iñarritú.

In addition to being the laureate at the tribute on Friday May 27, Darius Khondji will give an inperson cinematography Masterclass on Thursday May 26 in the morning.The class will be moderated by journalist Jordan Mintzer (The Hollywood Reporter).

More information to follow on the Masterclass at a later date.

“I am very attached to optics. It's not always rational, more in the realm of inspiration, but it has had an enormous importance since the beginning of my work. I am attached to the shape of the camera, its proximity to the body, to the eye” Darius Khondji (Excerpt from a conversation with Philippe Parreno / Cinémathèque Française 2017)

Darius Khondji has been interested in cinema since childhood, when around the age of twelve, he shot films in super 8. Born October 21, 1955 in Tehran, Iran, he was three years old when his family moved to France. In 1976, he chose to attend film school in the United States. In New York, he took courses at the International Center of Photography (ICP) while regularly visiting museums. After spending two years in the USA, he returned to France and decided to pursue the profession of director of photography. Hebecame the second assistant camera to Eduardo Serra, then assistant director. His meeting with Bruno Nuytten, cinematographer, was decisive. After a stint as an assistant operator, he also began to produce images for advertisements and clips (Tandem by Vanessa Paradis, directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino).

His career as a cinematographer started in 1990 with Treasure of the Bitch Islands by François-Jacques Ossang. This was followed by Delicatessen (1993) and The City of Lost Children (1995) by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro. Khondji first worked abroad in 1995, with David Fincher on Se7en. For him it was the beginning of a long career in Hollywood, Europe, Asia and most recently in Mexico with Alejandro González Iñarritú.

Khondji regularly collaborates with a series of directors: he worked on five films for Woody Allen, three for James Gray, two for David Fincher and soon Bong Joon-ho. Very attached to traditional film, Darius Khondji nevertheless shot digitally with Michael Haneke (Amour, 2012) and Bong Joon-ho (Okja, 2017). Alongside his film career, Darius Khondji has also been the cinematographer for some of the many music videos directed by Chris Cunningham, including Frozen for Madonna, Afrika Shox for Leftfield and Jay-Z's Marcy Me music video directed by Joshua and Ben Safdie. He also renewed his partnership with French visual artist Philippe Parreno on various projects.

Alongside the Pierre Angénieux Tribute given to an already established cinematographer, Angénieux has been highlighting the promising work of young cinematographic talent. As such, since 2018, the ANGÉNIEUX SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT has been created and awarded to a new talent in the field of cinematography.

During this exceptional evening, the Dutch cinematographer Evelin van Rei will be awarded this particular prize which will allow her to use Angénieux’s cutting-edge lens technology to film her next project. Hailed by the British Cinematographer as part of the “New Wave” in 2019, Evelin van Rei is a London-based Dutch filmmaker and photographer. Evelin van Rei has been interested in cinema since the age of eleven. She decided to study at the Cambridge School of Art in England, where she discovered her fascination for the art of images. She is the first self-taught cinematographer to receive the Angénieux endowment, after French-Mexican Pamela Albarrán (2021), Indian Modhura Palit (2019) and Chinese Cécile Zhang (2018). Like her predecessors, she will be able to benefit from the support of Angénieux throughout the upcoming year.

About Angénieux : Angénieux is world-renowned for its cinema lenses. The company has been honored with three ACADEMY AWARDS® (1964, 1989, 2009), receiving the Technical Achievement Award (2012) from the Society of Camera Operators and the Bert Easey Technical Award (2014) by the British Society of Cinematographers: Angénieux lenses have become a point of reference for image professionals, they are used worldwide for cinema, television, music videos and commercials. The brand’s history started in 1935, more than 80 years ago, with the creation of the Pierre Angénieux Company. In 1993, Angénieux became a Thales Group brand. Cinema enthusiast and genius inventor, Pierre Angénieux laid the foundations of the modern zoom lenses and ensured his company’s continued success, which experienced an incredible destiny. Pierre Angénieux was not only interested in cinema: he also turned to photography, television, optronics, and medicine. Angénieux lenses have even gone all the way to the moon! Chosen by NASA in the 1960s, they have participated in different missions of the prestigious American organization.

They were aboard Apollo 11 and participated in the extraordinary success of the mission that, 50 years ago, showed the images of man’s first step on the moon. Published in 2019 the book « Angénieux and Cinema: From Light to Image” (Silvana Editoriale) retraces the incredible adventure of Angénieux through 270 illustrated pages.. The book is available in English and French. https://www.angenieux.com/

FILMOGRAPHY DARIUS KHONDJI

Feature films

1990 Treasure of the Bitch Islands by François-Jacques Ossang *

1991 Delicatessen by Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro

1993 Shadow of a doubt by Aline Issermann * 1995 The City of Lost Children by Jean-Pierre Jeunet et Marc Caro Marie-Louise ou la permission by Manuel Flèche * Se7en by David Fincher

1996 Stealing Beauty by Bernardo Bertolucci Evita by Alan Parker

1997 Alien : Resurrection by Jean-Pierre Jeunet 1999 In Dreams by Neil Jordan * The Ninth Gate by Roman Polanski *

2000 The Beach by Danny Boyle *

2002 Panic Room by David Fincher

2003 Anything Else by Woody Allen

2004 Wimbledon by Richard Loncraine *

2005 The Interpreter by Sydney Pollack *

2006 Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait by Douglas Gordon & Philippe Parreno *

2007 Funny Games by Michael Haneke My Blueberry Nights by Wong Kar-wai *

2009 Chéri by Stephen Frears *

2011 Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen *

2012 Amour by Michael Haneke To Rome with Love by Woody Allen *

2013 The Immigrant by James Gray * (New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cinematographer) 2014 Magic in the Moonlight by Woody Allen

2015 Irrational Man by Woody Allen *

2016 The Lost City of Z by James Gray *

2017 Okja by Bong Joon-ho 2019 Uncut Gems by Joshua & Ben Safdie *

2022 Armageddon Time by James Gray * (Cannes 2022) Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths) by Alejandro González Iñárritú * Angénieux lenses were used by Darius Khondji on films marked by a red star Series

2019 Too Old to Die Young by Nicolas Winding Refn (Amazon video)

2021 Lisey's Story (miniseries / 8 episodes) Short film

2013 Castello Cavalcanti by Wes Anderson

2019 Anima by Paul Thomas Anderson