Every year, the “Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography” ceremony turns the spotlight on a director of photography whose work has marked the history of world cinema. Since its inception in 2013, tribute has been paid to Philippe Rousselot (AFC*, ASC*), Vilmos Zsigmond (HSC*, ASC) in 2014, Roger A. Deakins (BSC*, ASC) in 2015, Peter Suschitzky (ASC) in 2016 and Christopher Doyle (HKSC*) in 2017.
In 2018, American photographer, filmmaker and director of photography Edward Lachman will receive the Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography during an exceptional ceremony at the 71st Cannes Film Festival.
With a career spanning 45 years and comprising an eclectic mix of over 75 films and documentaries, Edward Lachman has served as director of photography on films byWerner Herzog, Jonathan Demme, Susan Seidelman, Dennis Hopper, Paul Schrader, Mira Nair, Andrew Niccol, Robert Altman, Todd Solondz or Larry Clark, with whom he co-directed the very sensuous Ken Park.
Many films on which he worked as cinematographer were selected in Cannes: documentaries by Wim Wenders – includingLightning over Water, co-directed withNicholas Ray, or Tokyo-Ga –, Little Wars byMaroun Bagdadi, A Gathering of Old Men byVolker Schlöndorff, Virgin Suicides by Sofia Coppola, Import/Export and the Paradisetrilogy by Austrian filmmaker Ulrich Seidl, The Limey by Steven Soderbergh, whose Erin Brockovich he also endowed with a crisp, realistic tone. Angénieux zoom lenses were used in both films.
But it is in Todd Haynes’s last four films (Far from Heaven, I’m not There, Carol andWonderstruck) that his work took on a new dimension, set between expressionism and intimacy, classical aesthetics and modern stylisation.
His use of light underscores tourmented characters’ psychological subtleties without bearing down on the sensitivities of highly emotional dramas. Julianne Moore (Far from Heaven, 2002) and Cate Blanchett (Carol, 2015), both fighting for their desire and licking their wounds, are magnificent women in a world whose contrasted hues bring to the fore the impossibility of love within a false, moralistic society.
Both films earned Edward Lachman anAcademy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. Furthermore, Carol in 2015 and Wonderstruck in 2017 were in competition at Cannes Film Festival.
An art lover enthralled by his own work, he is akin to a painter using an infinite colour palette. Endlessly experimenting and bold, Edward Lachman has the amazing ability to “make” pictures that linger in us for a long time.
After receiving a prize by the American Society of Cinematographers to distinguish his entire work last year, being the laureate of some 40 international awards and having his work shown in art institutions all over the world,Edward Lachman will be awarded with the “Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography” on Friday May 18th at the Buñuel Theatre, Palais des Festivals, along with the many talents who have accompanied him throughout his career.
In 2018, Angénieux will also recognise the work of a young film professional.
While acknowledging the contribution of the greatest movie professionals, Angénieux will, for the first time in 2018 during the “Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography” ceremony, strongly affirm its interest in and support to fledgling creative talents in the international film industry.
This year, Angénieux will, during this exceptional ceremony, distinguish Chinese young cinematographer Cecile Zhang - who graduated with honors from the Beijing Film Academy - by giving her the opportunity to use an Angénieux zoom lens on her next project.
She got accepted in the Beijing Film Academy at only 17 years old and was the only female of her year. Despite her young age, Cecile has already shot many narratives, music videos and commercials and carries with her the energy of a new generation of cinematographers. She is a member of the ICFC , the International Collective of Female Cinematographers.
The lens – from the Optimo or Optimo Anamorphic range, as she will wish – will be on loan during the shooting stage. She will thus experience firsthand the image sharpness and quality of rendering that helped establish the lenses’ reputation.
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