Aesthetics — United Cinematographers

Category: Aesthetics

Aesthetics15 June 2026

Diachromie and diaphanie

Diachromie and Diaphanie officially broke out of development in mid-November 2025. These two color grading plugins, developed by a French team, garnered significant attention from numerous professionals during their development phase, and…

By Grégoire Ausina

Aesthetics2 May 2026

Chefs Op’ en Lumière Festival 2026 : Director and cinematographer, how to communicate better ?

As part of the Chefs Op’ en Lumières festival, this round table dedicated to the relationship between director and cinematographer brings together two tandems with different backgrounds, who have come to share…

By Léa Morelli

Aesthetics14 April 2026

Short Film Panorama at Chefs Op’ en Lumière 2026 : The Body and the Sky

The short film moves forward with its questions, the same ones as always. What journey can be undertaken in such a limited time? How quickly can an atmosphere be established when one…

By Antoine Mocquet

Des projecteurs éclairent un plateau d'animation.

Aesthetics9 April 2026

« Tales from the Apple Tree » : Mathilde Gaillard colors the seasons with mourning

No pure black in the shadows. This is one of the intentions applied by Mathilde Gaillard on Les Contes du Pommier, a European co-production for which she lit the French part. Facing…

By Marine Ottogalli

Aesthetics20 December 2025

Logbook of a Cinematographer/Colorist Collaboration

On the occasion of the broadcast of De Gaulle, le commencement on france.tv, Julien Pamart, director of photography, and Grégoire Ausina, colorist, share their insights and experiences working on this project.

By Julien Pamart and Grégoire Ausina

Aesthetics11 December 2025

Camerimage 2025: September 5 – Recreating a 70s aesthetic in filming

During a RED seminar at Camerimage, cinematographer Markus Förderer, ASC, delivered a detailed analysis of his work on Tim Fehlbaum’s *5 September*. Far from being a simple pastiche of the 1970s, he…

By Diane Plas

Aesthetics11 December 2025

Camerimage 2025: Bill Viola Exhibition “Visions of Time” – A moment suspended in time at the heart of the festival

What a brilliant idea for a film festival to open its doors to contemporary art! The Bill Viola Vizje Csasu – Visions of time exhibition takes us out of the two-dimensional projection…

By Catherine Briault

Aesthetics3 December 2025

Camerimage 2025 : No Mean City – Inheriting a fading light

This year, my joy was returning to the splendid Documentary Theater in Toruń to attend the two screenings of short documentaries in competition. The first four films transported me successively to South…

By Clara Pauthier

Aesthetics3 December 2025

Camerimage 2025 : Short documentary films – filming life without understanding its language

Seven films from different countries were featured in the short documentary selection at the 2025 Camerimage festival. One of the similarities was the absence of a common language between cinematographers and the…

By Marine Ottogalli

Aesthetics27 November 2025

Camerimage 2025: Bedrock, special screening documentary

The documentary film Bedrock was screened as a special event at the Camerimage Festival on November 17, 2025, at the Documentary Theater in Toruń, Poland. The screening concluded with a lively Q&A…

By Clara Pauthier and Sarah Guillaumin-Haddad

Aesthetics24 November 2025

Camerimage 2025: ‘Late shift’ or how to film dignity

At Camerimage, you’ll find all sorts of films, from the most popular to the most inconspicuous. The main competition often showcases big-budget titles already released in theaters or available on various streaming…

By Vincent Tartar

Aesthetics23 November 2025

Camerimage 2025 : Sunlight, Exhaustion and Karaoke – Day 5

6 a.m. – Color Grading at Dawn The night was brutally short. I got lost in color grading photos for the journal. My roommate burst out laughing when she found me on…

By L'Union des Chef·fes Op

Aesthetics22 November 2025

Camerimage 2025: Fred Elmes on How to « Direct the Edit » from Behind the Camera

The great Frederick Elmes, ASC, was the festival’s guest of honor, presenting the restored version of Night on Earth and Jarmusch’s latest, Father, Mother, Sister, Brother. Selected excerpts from his surprisingly candid…

By L'Union des Chef·fes Op

Aesthetics20 November 2025

Camerimage 2025 : a camera that advances by seeking

At Camerimage, ARRI brought together Ellen Kuras ASC, Maria S. Herrera AMC, and Barry Ackroyd BSC to talk about a subject that sounds technical on paper: camera movement. Behind the dollies,…

By L'Union des Chef·fes Op

Aesthetics19 November 2025

Camerimage 2025: Hamnet – Łukasz Żal, Presence Above All

After the screening of Hamnet, Łukasz Żal unravelled a method that, beneath its surface simplicity, reveals a kind of sophistication grounded in listening. Adapting Maggie O’Farrell and working with Chloé Zhao pushed…

By L'Union des Chef·fes Op and Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics18 November 2025

Camerimage 2025 : ‘Bugonia’ or the Apocalypse in 8-perf: The Mad Gamble on VistaVision

For his new feature Bugonia, Yórgos Lánthimos didn’t just shift narrative register. In collaboration with his cinematographer Robbie Ryan, BSC, ISC, he made a radical technical choice that will be remembered: shooting…

By Pascal Montjovent and Stella Libert

Aesthetics15 October 2025

Manaki 2025 : The MANAKI festival, a space for discovery but also for experimentation with the « Adriatic Network Workshop: Manaki NEXT GENERATION »

The MANAKI Festival: A Space for Discovery and Experimentation with the “Adriatic Network Workshop: Manaki NEXT GENERATION” This year, the festival organizers offer a workshop aimed at young people…

By Clémence Thurninger

Aesthetics8 October 2025

Manaki 2025: « When The Phone Rang » interview with Martin DiCicco

An intimate reconstruction of a telescoping of memory, When The Phone Rang plunges us into the daily life of a teenage girl, at the moment when her personal history and the history…

By Thomas Lallier

Aesthetics4 October 2025

Manaki 2025: Quiet Life, impassive and disturbing

The film Quiet Life is based on true events, recounting the story of a Russian family fleeing repression. Settled in Sweden, their asylum application is rejected and they are threatened with having…

By Elie Elfassi

Aesthetics18 June 2025

“Vincent Must Die”, or the Art of the Getaway, by its Cinematographer Manuel Dacosse

Vincent is looking for love, working with his ex, and deserves a few slaps, but probably not what happens to him: persecuted by perfect strangers, he is launched into a mad…

By Charlotte Alma-Michel

Aesthetics18 June 2025

Camerimage 2024: “Iron Butterflies”, Autopsy of a Mass Murder

* * * Iron Butterflies: Autopsy of a Mass Murder When faced with human tragedies, one might simply ask : what can documentary cinema achieve ? On July 17, 2014, a Malaysia…

By Thomas Lallier

Aesthetics20 February 2025

The Snow Leopard and the Steppe Cinematographer

The Snow Leopard (Xue Bao) is the last film by Pema Tseden, who died suddenly a few months after its release. The Tibetan director, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, crafts…

By Charlotte Alma-Michel

Aesthetics20 February 2025

The Snow Leopard and the Cinematographer of the Steppes

The Snow Leopard (Xue Bao) is the last film by Pema Tseden, who died suddenly a few months after its release. The Tibetan director, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, crafts…

By Charlotte Alma-Michel

Aesthetics3 February 2025

Festival Chefs Op’ en Lumière 2025: image as writing, a dialogue with Paul Guilhaume and Léa Mysius

In Chalon-sur-Saône, Paul Guilhaume, nominated for the 2025 Oscars for his cinematography on Emilia Pérez, and director and screenwriter Léa Mysius share their common path, from La Fémis to their collaborations on…

By Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics31 January 2025

Festival Chefs Op’ en Lumière 2025: Pascale Marin’s Masterclass

Through her account of her work on the short film Ourse, Pascale Marin (AFC, UCO) reveals the subtleties of the cinematographer’s craft with infectious generosity and enthusiasm. Her approach, both precise and…

By Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics4 December 2024

Camerimage 2024: Cross-Interview with Jonathan Pytko and Adam Habib, Cinematographers on “Inside Out 2”

UCO talked with Jonathan Pytko and Adam Habib, the two Directors of Photography of “Inside Out 2.” Both handled the cinematography of the Pixar film since in 3D animation, it’s a…

By Jimmy Bourcier

Aesthetics19 November 2024

Endurance and Isolation: The Visual Approach of « Young Woman and the Sea »

Joachim Rønning’s Young Woman and the Sea offers a visually compelling exploration of Trudy Ederle’s historic swim across the English Channel, brought to life through the lens of Oscar Faura. This biographical…

By Albert Teddy

Aesthetics12 November 2024

Between Fassbinder and Sirk: the Queer and Referenced Cinematography of ‘Nino lunaire’

One spring evening, Nino, a young writer of flamboyant and kitsch melodramas, finds himself catapulted into the late-night bar of a city at the edge of the world. How did he end…

By Michele Gurrieri

Aesthetics4 October 2024

Projecting at the Right Aspect Ratio: CST Expertise

The choice of aspect ratio goes far beyond the technical format: it structures the visual experience. Projecting a film in the wrong ratio can distort the image, crop essential parts of the…

By Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics30 September 2024

Craftsmanship is the nobility of cinema: an exclusive interview with Renato Berta

During the latest edition of the Chefs Op’ en Lumière festival, Renato Berta delivered a passionate plea for a return to the fundamentals of cinema. The masterclass, moderated by N.T. Binh, offered…

By Tom Durand and Cassiana Sarrazin

Aesthetics18 June 2024

Camerimage 2024: Color Grading: Emerging Talents Award

Graded vs REC709 UCO: Was the look of the project defined beforehand with the DP and director? Or was it developed after the shoot? Douglas Dutton: The look…

By Marius Dahl

Aesthetics12 June 2024

In the Intimacy of the Gaze: Cinematographers Share Their Photographs

When the camera stops, the cinematographer’s eye continues to tell stories. This is what the second photography exhibition by the Union of Cinematographers (UCO) eloquently demonstrates, held from 9 to 30 June…

By Michele Gurrieri and Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics16 May 2024

The visual exploration of Marine Atlan and Carmen Jaquier for « Foudre »

Transcendent Textures: Marine Atlan’s Unique Approach to Foudre On the occasion of the release in France on May 22 of Foudre by Carmen Jaquier (which captivated us at the Chef Op’ en…

By Charlotte Alma-Michel

Aesthetics3 May 2024

Interview with Shawn Pavlin

Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant (Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person), released in cinemas last March, has received numerous distinctions — notably at the Festival Chefs Op’ en Lumière, where it won…

By Alexi Bouygues

Aesthetics29 January 2024

ARRI Showreel in France 2023

Dive into a selection of French productions filmed in 2023 with ARRI equipment: from feature films and short films to tv shows, music videos, and commercials. Thank you to all the…

By ARRI

Aesthetics31 December 2023

Camerimage 2023 Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos: deviant body, auteur spirit

Poor Things directed by Yórgos Lánthimos, opened the main competition at this 31st edition of the Camerimage festival, where it won two prizes. This is an opportunity to offer a critical and…

By Mathis D'Angelo

Aesthetics4 December 2023

Camerimage 2023: ‘Less is more,’ creativity under constraint according to Peter Zeitlinger

At the 31st edition of the Camerimage festival, cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger hosted a seminar titled “Less is more,” where he explained how simplifying techniques can foster more creativity. “…

By Mathis D'Angelo

Aesthetics18 November 2023

Camerimage 2023: El Conde, first (bloody) fruit of the P. Larraín / E. Lachman duo

History’s darkest meets fiction: director Pablo Larraín and DP Edward Lachman’s first collaboration give birth to El Conde, a vampire tale on dictator Augusto Pinochet. Pablo Larraín and Edward…

By Sarah Guillaumin-Haddad

Aesthetics15 November 2023

Camerimage 2023: The Holdovers, a 70s cinematography?

The film “The Holdovers,” directed by Alexander Payne and shown at Camerimage, presents a heartwarming, humorous, and nuanced story with relatable characters. Set during the winter break of December 1970 at Barton…

By Elie Elfassi

Aesthetics19 July 2023

Magnificat: the Luminous Grace of Noémie Gillot

An intimate story with mystical overtones, Magnificat called for a visual language that could match its ambitions. Noémie Gillot, who shot the film, explains how she rose to the challenge.

By Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics27 June 2023

The Night of the Glass of Water: Interview with Thomas Bataille

Lebanon, 1958. Layla, a model wife and mother, is spending a carefree summer with her family in the sacred Qadisha Valley. As two French visitors arrive, the distant echoes of conflict begin…

By Diane Plas and Thomas Bataille

Aesthetics20 April 2023

From Stereax to Stemirax: Reinventing In-Camera Effects

If you attended the MicroSalon this year, you might have come across a peculiar optical system at the TSF booth: the Stemirax, designed to create in-camera image overlays. Théo Fauger, the creator…

By Diane Plas

Aesthetics30 March 2023

Festival “Chefs Op’ en Lumière” 2023: Masterclass by Céline Bozon

On the occasion of the Chefs Op’ en Lumière festival, Céline Bozon gave a Masterclass at the Espace des Arts in Chalon-sur-Saône. She revisited her career as a cinematographer through several film…

By Cassiana Sarrazin and Tom Durand

Aesthetics26 February 2023

« Maria Schneider 1983 » wins a César Award; Pascale Marin sheds light on the visual choices.

Based on a filmed interview with Maria Schneider for the program “Cinéma, Cinémas,” this film won the César Award for Best Documentary Short Film. Three actresses reenact the original interview…

By Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics31 January 2023

Thomas Favel on “Return to Seoul”

Thomas Favel, a member of the Union, was the cinematographer on Return to Seoul, a film celebrated in the Official Selection’s Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival. It is…

By Pascal Montjovent and Thomas Favel

Aesthetics2 December 2022

Camerimage 2022: A tribute to Sven Nykvist, ASC, FSF

Sven Nykvist’s work with directors like Ingmar Bergman, Louis Malle, Andrei Tarkovsky and Woody Allen, has left a lasting impression on cinema history. At this year’s Camerimage, American Cinematographer presented a tribute…

By Mike Cerda and Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics1 December 2022

Camerimage 2022: Angénieux unveils two new compact zooms and its lens customisation system

Camerimage 2022 : Angénieux presents two new compact zooms and its lens customization system We attended another Camerimage workshop where we discovered the latest releases of Angenieux: two new compact zooms and…

By Valentine Lequet and Mathis D'Angelo

Aesthetics28 November 2022

Camerimage 2022: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen, the cinematographer behind “War Sailor”

The movie War Sailor, by the Norwegian Gunnar Vikene, was screened in the official competition at Camerimage. In 1938, at the beginning of the war, Alfred, a father…

By Charlotte Alma-Michel and Cassiana Sarrazin

Aesthetics18 November 2022

Camerimage 2022: The Banshees of Inisherin, a finely chiselled intimate drama

The Banshees of Inisherin: a stunning intimate drama The Banshees of Inisherin is presented out of competition at the EnergaCamerimage Festival. On this occasion, the director Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards outside Ebbing,…

By Charlotte Alma-Michel and Elie Elfassi

Aesthetics17 November 2022

Camerimage 2022: Heroes lenses by Arri Rental, back to the future

For this 2022 edition of Camerimage, Arri Rental has introduced a new series of wide-format lenses called Heroes. Divided into two “sub-series”, the T.One and the Look, these lenses are described…

By Vincent Tartar

Aesthetics16 November 2022

Camerimage 2022: All Quiet on the Western Front, or the thrill of cinema on the big screen

The delight of watching movies on the big screen Being my first Camerimage I was hoping to start off the festival with a film that had all the elements I love…

By Mike Cerda and Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics14 November 2022

Camerimage 2022: Walter Murch and the Golden Ratio in cinematic framing

Walter Murch and the Golden Ratio in Cinematic Framing One of the first seminars of this year’s Camerimage Fest comes from legendary editor Walter Murch – The Godfather…

By Mike Cerda

Aesthetics16 September 2022

A Cinematographer’s Memories: Alex Lamarque / Michel Gondry — Daft Punk “Around the World”

1997 saw the release of Daft Punk’s function(){return ‘Around the World‘;}, one of the most iconic tracks of the French Touch movement, whose music video played a huge part in its worldwide…

By Rodolph SERAPHINE

Aesthetics21 March 2022

Making of a “lighting” workshop organised by the Union des Chefs Opérateurs at TSF on Thursday 27 January 2022

On 27 January 2022, 30 cinematographers were invited into a studio to compare diffusion fabrics and bounce fabrics under LED, HMI and Tungsten light. The range of fabrics on the market is…

By Marion Rey

Aesthetics10 December 2021

Camerimage 2021: The wrap-up

Between Toruń and Paris While last year’s Camerimage festival was held only online in the context of the pandemic, this year there was a mix of face-to-face/remote. This made it possible to…

By Thomas Lallier , Vincent Tartar , Diane Plas , Valentine Lequet , François-Xavier Le Reste , Naomi Amarger , Elie Elfassi and Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics5 December 2021

Camerimage 2021: Building a world for the screen — the collaboration between production designers and cinematographers

This 29th edition of the festival was the occasion to highlight the collaborative work between the production designers and the cinematographers in the construction of the world of the film. A considerable…

By Valentine Lequet and Marius Dahl

Aesthetics3 December 2021

Camerimage 2021: “Goodbye Soviet Union” – a story within History, interview with Elen Lotman, ESC

_ _ _ _ First feature film by Lauri Randla, who also wrote the original score for the film, Goodbye Soviet Union is a subtle and yet funny comedy…

By Thomas Lallier

Aesthetics2 December 2021

Camerimage 2021: Germinal, a creative collaboration on a period series — an interview with Xavier Dolléans

In competition during this 29th edition of the festival, with the TV show Germinal, produced by David Hourrègue, Xavier Dolléans AFC, Union des Chefs Opérateurs reflects on the means implemented…

By Valentine Lequet , Vincent Tartar , Marion Rey and Xavier Dolléans

Aesthetics30 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: The “night” onscreen – darkness, between naturalism and fantasy

_ _ _ _ Camerimage 2021 : The “night” onscreen – darkness, between naturalism and fantasy Night sequences often challenge the cinematographer in many ways, both technically and artistically, and are…

By Diane Plas

Aesthetics27 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: Bruno Nuytten photo exhibition, borrowing from reality

After a successful career in the cinema industry, Bruno Nuytten dropped it in 2001 for several reasons, including the desire to reconnect with the world around him,…

By Elie Elfassi

Aesthetics25 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: A retrospective on the career of Bruno Nuytten

After quite a long career in the cinema industry, Bruno Nuytten, who has been cinematographer for nearly 20 years and a four films director, turns to photography. He exhibits his…

By Elie Elfassi

Aesthetics24 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: “Matar a Pinochet” (Killing Pinochet), a cross-interview with Juan Ignacio Sabatini and Enrique Stindt

Inspired by the attempt of assassination of the Chilean dictator in 1986, the movie tells the story of several members of the Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front and how they set up…

By Thomas Lallier

Aesthetics23 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: Ed Lachman, ASC unveils his EL Zone System

At Camerimage 2021, distinguished director of photography Ed Lachman ASC and collaborator Marko Massinger presented the EL Zone system (ELZS); a newly developed exposure tool intended to be used on digital cameras.

By Marius Dahl

Aesthetics22 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: The complete awards list of this 29th edition

This 29th edition of the Camerimage festival came to a close this Saturday 20 November, with the return of an in-person ceremony after last year’s fully online festival. Here is the list…

By Margaux Lenfant and Thomas Lallier

Aesthetics21 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: “Cinema doesn’t work without collaboration” — on the DP / camera operator relationship

« Cinema doesn’t work without collaboration », a discussion between Philippe Rousselot (AFC, ASC) and Anastas N. Michos (AFC) on the relationship between the director of photography and the cameraman. Several meetings…

By Diane Plas

Aesthetics20 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: “The Getaway King”, a dazzling rogue

The Getaway King (Namjro) is a mad polish movie in appearence, selected for the “Director’s Debut” Competition and for the official competition as well. Based on a true…

By Elie Elfassi

Aesthetics18 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: The festival reveals the secret weapon of cinematographers

“The colorist is the DOP’s secret weapon,” said Eric Weidt at the FilmLight Colour Awards ceremony, the first of its kind to exclusively reward the best graded films this year…

By Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics18 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: FilmLight Colour Awards

On Sunday 14 November, during the Camerimage festival, FilmLight announced the winners of a new award celebrating the work of colourists. A new event appeared alongside the official competition at the 2021…

By François-Xavier Le Reste

Aesthetics17 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: José Luis Alcaine, the legacy of light

For his 8th and a half (it’s important to him) collaboration with Pedro Almodovar, José Luis Alcaine, AEC, has participated to a Q&A session after the projection of the film Parallel Mothers.

By Vincent Tartar and Margaux Lenfant

Aesthetics16 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: My presentation of the short film “Ativio” at the Talent Demo Program

The Talent Demo Program is organized every year at Camerimage. It connects students and young professionals with a film project, to experienced cinematographers, directors and producers participating in the festival. Early October,…

By Naomi Amarger

Aesthetics15 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: The festival pays tribute to Halyna Hutchins

Yesterday, November 14, 2021, the EnergaCamerimage festival, and through it, our entire profession, paid tribute to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was accidentally killed by gunfire on October 21. At 6 pm on…

By Vincent Tartar

Aesthetics15 November 2021

Camerimage 2021: Here we are!

After an all-online festival last year, l’Union came as a strong team in Toruń for the 2021 Camerimage edition. This is the first edition after the health crisis, and…

By Thomas Lallier

Aesthetics18 October 2021

Inauguration evening for the new Plateau Virtuel studios

In late September, the inauguration evening was held for the new Plateau Virtuel studios, a 1,200 m² space at Porte de Versailles. Formerly based in Longjumeau at Novelty, the Plateau Virtuel group…

By Elie Elfassi

Aesthetics5 September 2021

Working Hours, in the United States as in France

A series of accidents on the way between home and set in the United States — presented by Maxence Muller, followed by an update on the French situation, by Olivier Bertrand. A…

By Maxence Muller and Olivier Bertrand

Aesthetics28 April 2021

Tribute

The Union des Chefs Opérateurs joins its president Philippe Brelot in paying tribute to Morvan Omnès, Milo Omnès, and Hervé Ribatto Morvan, my friend, my companion, my grip, A grip on a…

By Philippe Brelot

Aesthetics31 March 2021

Culture in Struggle

For three weeks now, workers from culture, live performance, events and tourism have risen up with a campaign occupying venues of culture. I wish to express my own view here, confident that…

By Michele Gurrieri

Aesthetics8 March 2021

2021 Board Films

Following the Films du CA 2020, and as a tradition takes hold whenever an event recurs, here is a new vintage of the Films du CA — the 2021 edition!Five films,…

By Pamela Albarrán , Nina Bernfeld , Cécile Bodénès , Philippe Brelot , Michele Gurrieri , Thomas Lallier , Margaux Lenfant , Charlie Lenormand , Valentine Lequet , Maxence Muller , Julien Pamart , François-Xavier Le Reste and Marion Rey

Aesthetics14 February 2021

Clermont-Ferrand 2021: “Le Cercle d’Ali”, an interview with Lucie Baudinaud

Salman, a 22-year-old Afghan who left his homeland to reach France clandestinely, is preparing for a hearing to obtain his papers. A moving portrait of this young refugee, and the memories of…

By Marion Rey

Aesthetics9 February 2021

Clermont-Ferrand 2021: “L’Effort Commercial”, a social parable shot by Pascale Marin

For a seasonal job, Léa takes up her post as a checkout worker in a large supermarket chain. In an empty, sanitised setting, the violence of the work merges with the violence…

By Thomas Lallier

Aesthetics6 February 2021

Clermont-Ferrand 2021: “Juste à Nantes”, an interview with Cécile Bodénès

Over the course of one long evening, Héléna and her friends are led to re-evaluate their relationships with others, to understand their subtlety, and to open themselves up to the unexpected.

By Pascal Montjovent and Cécile Bodénès

Aesthetics1 February 2021

Clermont-Ferrand 2021: “Ourse”, teen movie and found footage

About the film Ourse (Bear), by Nicolas Birkenstock, selected in national competition at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2021. Ourse had been a carefree teenager until recently, but she has become…

By Pascale Marin

Aesthetics1 February 2021

2021 Board composition

At the General Assembly held on Saturday 30 January, members voted to elect the new board of the Union des Chefs Opérateurs. The new board met again today in turn to elect…

By Pamela Albarrán , Nina Bernfeld , Cécile Bodénès , Philippe Brelot , Michele Gurrieri , Thomas Lallier , François-Xavier Le Reste , Margaux Lenfant , Charlie Lenormand , Valentine Lequet , Maxence Muller , Julien Pamart and Marion Rey

Aesthetics29 December 2020

A (Lovely) Holiday Reading List

Ours is a craft of tradition. Every image we create, every choice we make — whether technical or aesthetic — never comes from nowhere. To paraphrase Sir Isaac Newton, with every shot…

By Maxence Muller

Aesthetics9 December 2020

Nils Frahm live and on screen: sophisticated and radical

Directed by Benoit Toulemonde, shot in the iconic FunkHaus in Berlin, co-produced by Plan B (Brad Pitt), Tripping With Nils Frahm is the culmination of a story in several chapters that began…

By Thomas Lallier

Aesthetics1 December 2020

Tragic and Clandestine: “Mères”, an interview with Gertrude Baillot, in competition at IDFA

Myriam Bakir’s documentary (63′) addresses the tragic issue of single mothers in Morocco. To mark the film’s selection at IDFA, one of Europe’s most renowned documentary festivals, held in Amsterdam, I asked…

By Thomas Lallier

Aesthetics25 November 2020

Camerimage 2020: 499, a poetic balance between reality and fiction

499, a poetic balance between reality and fiction Latin American cinema often uses magical and metaphorical ways to talk about its complex reality. This is the case of the Mexican documentary…

By Pamela Albarrán

Aesthetics22 November 2020

Camerimage 2020: La Llorona — when magical realism comes to the rescue of a reality too dark

Camerimage 2020 : La Llorona, when reality is dark, the search for beauty through magic Shown during Camerimage 2020, La Llorona, a feature by Jayro Bustamante, is photographed by Nicolas…

By Valérie Potonniée and Pamela Albarrán

Aesthetics21 November 2020

Camerimage 2020: Supernova — the destruction and/or rebirth of Polish cinema

Polish cinema of today is a cinema of reality, as reflected by the selection at Camerimage in the Polish films category. Wether it is observation of a drama, study of a situation,…

By Clémence Thurninger

Aesthetics20 November 2020

Camerimage 2020: A conversation with Philippe Rousselot, AFC, ASC

On the occasion of the ceremony of Camerimage Lifetime Achivement Award given to Philippe Rousselot, three AFC cinematographers, Caroline Champetier, Jean-Marie Dreujou and Denis Lenoir had prepared film extracts and questions. It…

By Pascale Marin

Aesthetics19 November 2020

Camerimage 2020: Blood Rider – Red is life!

Blood Rider – Red is for Life Blood Rider is a short documentary directed by Jon Kasbe and DP’d by David Bolen. Their film competes at Camerimage as one of the best…

By Pascal Montjovent

Aesthetics18 November 2020

Camerimage 2020: “Hope” — living and loving without hope

I had the chance to attend Camerimage last year in the flesh. When we go to Camerimage, we know we’ll be able to see Nordic films. A kind of mood we can…

By Marion Rey

Aesthetics17 November 2020

Camerimage 2020: Öndög, the call of the horizon

The Camerimage festival, at l’Union, we’ve talked about it for a long time. And, finally, for the last two days, we’re finally here! Well not really…. But a little bit, sort…

By Valérie Potonniée

Aesthetics16 November 2020

Camerimage 2020: “Falling” — a hurtful father, a wounded husband

Viggo Mortensen Falling was scheduled to open the 2020 Camerimage international film festival but due to the pandemic Camerimage organized a Q&A with Viggo Mortensen and his director of photography, Marcel Zyskind.

By Pascale Marin

Aesthetics3 September 2020

In its eye, the sun

As this new season begins in 2020, I am proud. Proud as a peacock, proud as an Amazon in the saddle, proud as the president of the Union des Chefs Opérateurs. I…

By L'Union des Chef·fes Op

Aesthetics17 August 2020

Twelve Holiday Films

To keep the summer cinephilia going, here is a second summer list of films to make the most of the holidays. Films to cool down the skin, and the mind. Summer Interlude…

By Maxence Muller

Aesthetics25 May 2020

On the reform of the César Academy

Following a request from the CST, the Union has given thought to the reform of the César Academy… Founded in January 2019, the Union quickly became highly representative of the cinematographer’s profession…

By Olivier Bertrand and Valérie Potonniée

Aesthetics14 October 2019

Appropriation and restitution of a pictorial reference

Every film has its own aesthetic choices. Our directors sometimes come with their own unique ideas, sometimes with precise references, which can go as far as reproducing another work. In…

By Olivier Weinheimer