Néstor Almendros
Attore, Regista, Sceneggiatore, Produttore
30 ottobre 1930 — 4 marzo 1992 (61 anni)
Néstor Almendros Cuyás (30 October 1930 – 4 March 1992) was a Spanish cinematographer. One of the most highly appraised contemporary cinematographers, "Almendros was an artist of deep integrity, who believed the most beautiful light was natural light...he will always be remembered as a cinematographer of absolute truth...a true master of light".
Néstor Almendros Cuyás was born in Barcelona, Spain, but at 18 moved to Cuba to join his exiled anti-Francisco Franco father. In Havana, he wrote film reviews. Then he went on to study in Rome at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. He directed six shorts in Cuba and two in New York City.
After the 1959 Cuban Revolution, he returned and made several documentaries for the Castro regime. But after two of his shorts (Gente en la playa and La tumba francesa) were banned, he moved to Paris. Starting in 1964, he became the favorite collaborator of French New Wave director Éric Rohmer. In the early seventies he also started working with François Truffaut, Barbet Schroeder and other directors.
Almendros began his Hollywood career with Days of Heaven (1978), written and directed by Terrence Malick, who admired Almendros' work on The Wild Child (1970). Almendros was impressed by Malick's knowledge of photography and his willingness to use little studio lighting. The film's cinematography was modeled after silent films, which often used natural light. In 1979, Almendros won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Days of Heaven.
Almendros received three further Academy Award nominations for his work on Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), The Blue Lagoon (1980) and Sophie's Choice (1982), making him the most nominated Spanish person in Academy history as of the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021.
Almendros was the cinematographer for the John Lennon documentary, Imagine: John Lennon (1988), directed by Andrew Solt.
In his later years, Almendros co-directed two documentaries about the human rights situation in Cuba: Mauvaise Conduite (1984) (Improper Conduct) about the persecution of gay people in Cuba; and Nadie escuchaba (Nobody Was Listening), about the alleged arrest, imprisonment and torture of former comrades of Fidel Castro. He also shot several prestigious advertisements for Giorgio Armani (directed by Martin Scorsese), Calvin Klein (directed by Richard Avedon) and Freixenet.
Human Rights Watch International has named an award after him by establishing the Nestor Almendros Award for Courage in Filmmaking and it is given every year at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.
In 1980, Almendros won the César Award for François Truffaut's The Last Metro.
In 1992, Néstor Almendros died of AIDS-related lymphoma in New York City at the age of 61.
Source: Article "Néstor Almendros" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Néstor Almendros Cuyás was born in Barcelona, Spain, but at 18 moved to Cuba to join his exiled anti-Francisco Franco father. In Havana, he wrote film reviews. Then he went on to study in Rome at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. He directed six shorts in Cuba and two in New York City.
After the 1959 Cuban Revolution, he returned and made several documentaries for the Castro regime. But after two of his shorts (Gente en la playa and La tumba francesa) were banned, he moved to Paris. Starting in 1964, he became the favorite collaborator of French New Wave director Éric Rohmer. In the early seventies he also started working with François Truffaut, Barbet Schroeder and other directors.
Almendros began his Hollywood career with Days of Heaven (1978), written and directed by Terrence Malick, who admired Almendros' work on The Wild Child (1970). Almendros was impressed by Malick's knowledge of photography and his willingness to use little studio lighting. The film's cinematography was modeled after silent films, which often used natural light. In 1979, Almendros won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Days of Heaven.
Almendros received three further Academy Award nominations for his work on Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), The Blue Lagoon (1980) and Sophie's Choice (1982), making him the most nominated Spanish person in Academy history as of the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021.
Almendros was the cinematographer for the John Lennon documentary, Imagine: John Lennon (1988), directed by Andrew Solt.
In his later years, Almendros co-directed two documentaries about the human rights situation in Cuba: Mauvaise Conduite (1984) (Improper Conduct) about the persecution of gay people in Cuba; and Nadie escuchaba (Nobody Was Listening), about the alleged arrest, imprisonment and torture of former comrades of Fidel Castro. He also shot several prestigious advertisements for Giorgio Armani (directed by Martin Scorsese), Calvin Klein (directed by Richard Avedon) and Freixenet.
Human Rights Watch International has named an award after him by establishing the Nestor Almendros Award for Courage in Filmmaking and it is given every year at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.
In 1980, Almendros won the César Award for François Truffaut's The Last Metro.
In 1992, Néstor Almendros died of AIDS-related lymphoma in New York City at the age of 61.
Source: Article "Néstor Almendros" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Filmografia
| 1978 | |
| 1967 |
| 2018 | Le Grand Échiquier · as Self |
| 1993 | Writing with Light: Vittorio Storaro · as Self |
| 1992 | Visions of Light · as Self |
| 1979 | The 51st Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Winner |
| 1976 | César Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 1976 | A Fondo · as Self |
| 1987 | |
| 1984 |
| 1984 |
| 1987 |
| 1991 | Billy Bathgate · as Director Of Photography |
| 1989 | New York Stories · as Director Of Photography |
| 1988 | Imagine: John Lennon · as Cinematographer |
| 1987 | Nadine · as Director Of Photography |
| 1986 | Heartburn · as Director Of Photography |
| 1984 | Places in the Heart · as Director Of Photography |
| 1983 | Confidentially Yours · as Director Of Photography |
| 1983 | Pauline at the Beach · as Director Of Photography |
| 1982 | Sophie's Choice · as Director Of PhotographySu Plex |
| 1982 | Still of the Night · as Director Of Photography |
| 1980 | The Last Metro · as Director Of Photography |
| 1980 | The Blue Lagoon · as Director Of Photography |
| 1979 | Kramer vs. Kramer · as Director Of Photography |
| 1979 | Love on the Run · as Director Of Photography |
| 1978 | Koko: A Talking Gorilla · as Director Of Photography |
| 1978 | Perceval le Gallois · as Director Of Photography |
| 1978 | Days of Heaven · as Director Of Photography |
| 1978 | Goin' South · as Director Of Photography |
| 1978 | The Green Room · as Director Of Photography |
| 1977 | Madame Rosa · as Director Of Photography |
| 1977 | Change of Sex · as Director Of Photography |
| 1977 | Beaubourg · as Cinematographer |
| 1977 | The Man Who Loved Women · as Director Of Photography |
| 1977 | Entire Days in the Trees · as Director Of Photography |
| 1976 | The Marquise of O · as Director Of Photography |
| 1976 | Mistress · as Director Of Photography |
| 1975 | The Gentleman Tramp · as Cinematographer |
| 1975 | The Story of Adele H · as Director Of Photography |
| 1974 | My Little Loves · as Director Of Photography |
| 1974 | Cockfighter · as Director Of PhotographySu Plex |
| 1974 | General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait · as Director Of Photography |
| 1974 | The Mouth Agape · as Director Of Photography |
| 1972 | Love in the Afternoon · as Director Of Photography |
| 1972 | The Valley (Obscured by Clouds) · as Director Of Photography |
| 1971 | Two English Girls · as Director Of Photography |
| 1970 | Claire's Knee · as Director Of Photography |
| 1970 | Bed & Board · as Director Of Photography |
| 1970 | Paddy · as Cinematographer |
| 1970 | The Wild Child · as Director Of Photography |
| 1969 | More · as Art Direction |
| 1969 | More · as Director Of Photography |
| 1969 | My Night at Maud's · as Director Of Photography |
| 1969 | The Gun Runner · as Director Of Photography |
| 1968 | The Wild Racers · as Director Of Photography |
| 1967 | The Collector · as Director Of Photography |
| 1966 | Fermière à Montfaucon · as Director Of Photography |
| 1966 | A Modern Coed · as Director Of Photography |
| 1965 | Six in Paris · as Director Of Photography |
| 1965 | Six in Paris · as Assistant Director |
| 1964 | Nadja in Paris · as Director Of Photography |