“Carol” cinematographer wins top award at Camerimage Film Fest

PanARMENIAN.Net - “Carol” cinematographer Ed Lachman won the top award, the Golden Frog, at Camerimage Film Festival, which is devoted to the art of cinematography, on Saturday, November 21, Variety reports. The film, which is directed by Todd Haynes, and stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, looks at repression and romance in 1950s America.

Lachman said: “I keep telling Todd, ‘Not another one,’ and he keeps hiring me … This award really goes to my crew, my director and all of you who love cinema, and my fellow nominees — I was so inspired by their images, and I never thought that this would be the award. I will always be a student here, and whatever I contribute to this festival, I always feel like I take away much, much more.”

It was a film of “aristocratic grace and elegance,” said the jury, which was headed by director Michael Hoffman, adding: “It seamlessly evokes the period by paying homage to the great photography of the time. It also creates its own unique cinematic language and pulls the viewer deeper and deeper into a world where something as simple as love comes at a staggering cost.”

The jury statement continued: “Its delicate and precise exploration of emotion through color and light led us to discuss what it meant to achieve mastery of our craft. In the end we decided that the recipient of the Golden Frog is, for us, a master and that this film is a masterpiece.”

The Silver Frog went to Sturla Brandth Grovlen, for his cinematography on “Rams,” and the Bronze Frog was won by “Son of Saul” cinematographer Matyas Erdely. Jerzy Zielinski won the Polish films competition for “Summer Solstice.”

The Golden Frog for a documentary feature was picked up by “The Look of Silence” cinematographer Lars Skree, with a special mention going to Wojciech Staron for “Brothers.”

“Love,” whose cinematographer was Benoit Debie, was named best 3D film.

The award for a debut by a cinematographer was given to Joshua James Richards for “Songs My Brothers Taught Me,” while the honor for a directorial debut was taken by “Perfect Obedience” helmer Luis Urquiza Mondragon, whose cinematographer was Serguei Saldivar Tanaka.

The awards for music video and cinematography in a music video both went to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” which was shot by cinematographer Rob Witt. The prize for television pilot went to “Penny Dreadful: Night Work,” whose cinematographer is Xavi Gimenez.