IEC
#1: Photo by Guillermo Vilela
#3: 1978
Born: 30 October 1930, Barcelona, Spain, as Néstor Almendros Cuyás, as son of writer/pedagogue Herminio Almendros Ibáñez [1898-1974].
Died: 4 March 1992, New York City, N.Y., USA.
Education: Universidad de la Habana [Philosophy and Letters; graduated in 1955]; New York City College [film studies, 1955-56]; Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografica [CSC] [1956-57].
Career: Moved to Havana, Cuba, in 1948 to join his father, a Republican loyalist who had left Spain at the end of the Civil War. In Cuba he made a number of 8mm and 16mm amateur movies and attended Havana University briefly. Co-founder [in 1949] of Cuba's first cine club and film archive. Moved to Rome, Italy, and studied briefly at the CSC. Moved to the USA in the late 1950s and taught Spanish at Vassar for two years and directed Spanish student plays at Middlebury College. Returned to Havana in 1959 when Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista dictatorship. Made several doc's for the Instituto Cubano di Arte en Industria Cinematografica [ICAIC]. Moved to Paris, France, and worked as a teacher and still ph.
Ph commercials dir by Joël Séria, J. Leberre, Richard Avedon, Martin Scorsese, a.o.
Antonio Gosálvez wrote the book 'Néstor Almendros en Sevilla' [1999, Filmoteca de Andalucía]. Published his autobiography, 'Un homme à la caméra/A Man with a Camera', in 1980.
Co-signed an Open Letter to Fidel Castro in The New York Review of Books [02.02.1989].
Human Rights Watch and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, New York, created the 'Nestor Almendros Prize' for courage and commitment in human rights filmmaking. The Italian Istituto Cinematografico dell'Aquila and the AIC created the 'Nestor Almendros Award' for young or emerging directors of photography.
Was a member of the ASC.
Appeared in the doc 'Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography' [1991].
Awards: As doph: NSFC Award [1971] for 'L'enfant sauvage'; NSFC Award [1971] for 'Ma nuit chez Maud'; 'Oscar' AA [1978], LAFCA Award [1978], BSC Award nom [1979] & NSFC Award [1979] for 'Days of Heaven'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1979] for 'Kramer vs. Kramer'; 'César' Award nom [1979] for 'La chambre verte'; 'César' Award nom [1980] for 'Perceval le Gallois'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1981] for 'The Blue Lagoon'; 'César' Award [1981] for 'Le dernier métro'; NYFCC Award [1982] & 'Oscar' AA nom [1983] for 'Sophie's Choice'.
As dir: San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay FF 'Audience Award' [1984; shared] for 'Mauvaise conduite'; International Documentary Association Award [1988; shared] for 'Nadie escuchaba'.
#2: With Susan Sontag [1983] - photo Thys Ockersen Archive
'When I think of cinematographer Nestor Almendros's work on 'Sophie's Choice', I see Meryl Streep's translucent skin. I see a Brooklyn boarding house in the crisp afternoon sunlight, the monochromed evil of a Nazi rail yard, with searchlights scanning the faces of the doomed. When I watched 'Sophie's Choice' again recently, I saw something else: an attitude of gravity, a burnished intelligence in the sets, the performance, and the photography that seems now, when compared to the routine cacophony of crap that passes for movies nowadays, to be some relic of a lost tribe, an example of the kind of moviemaking that slowed down, reached high, and moved us. I mourn that type of movie, and that depth of intelligence. And I mourn the fading of Nestor Almendros' light. He was an artist of deep integrity, who believed the most beautiful light was natural light. […] I can't think of a single explosion in any of the films he shot, not a single matte painting, not one special effect that was not done 'in the camera'. Perhaps he was just lucky to work in a time before digital enhancement, before the 12-second attention span, before special effects became more interesting to look at than the human face. But there is something more - he was always true to a light's source, true to the emotion evoked by the cast and color of light as it changed through the day. He rejected the typical lighting schemes of the '40s and '50s, which called for key lights, backlight, fills and highlights. He preferred to first capture or augment existing light, then shape and bend it. He respected light's truth-telling element, the way it can expose and conceal. […] He will always be remembered as a cinematographer of absolute truth. He discovered beauty in the sepulchral darkness of the human face, and disquiet in the still life of a landscape. The next time I have to sit through a Hollywood blockbuster [or, let's face it, even an indie with a budget] and endure that inevitable onslaught of pyrotechnics, blue strobes, noirish shafts of hard light, overlit interiors and those dime-a-dozen smoke-filled slow-motion establishing shots, I will close my eyes and mourn the passing of Nestor Almendros, a true master of light.' [From article by Rustin Thompson in 'MovieMaker Magazine', #29, July 1998.]
FILMS | |
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1950 |
Una confusión cotidiana/An Everyday Confusion [Nestor Almendros & Tomás Gutiérrez Alea] 8mm/b&w; short/?m |
1951 |
Cimarrón [Plácido González Gómez] 16mm/c; short/?m |
1951 |
La boticaria [Nestor Almendros] 8mm/b&w; unfinished short film |
1953 |
Un monólogo de Hamlet [Nestor Almendros & Ramón Suárez] 16mm/b&w; cph: Ramón Suárez |
1953 |
Sabá [Nestor Almendros] 16mm/c |
195? |
Nunca [Nestor Almendros] 16mm/c; unfinished |
1956 |
The Mount of Luna [Nestor Almendros] 16mm/b&w; exp short/7m |
1958 |
58-59 [Nestor Almendros] 16mm/b&w; doc (New Year's Eve in New York City)/8m; + scrpl |
1959 |
Construcciones rurales [Humberto Arenal] 16mm/b&w; doc/10m |
1960 |
El agua [Manuel Octavio Gómez Martinez de Lahidalga] 16mm/b&w; doc/?m |
1960 |
El tomate [Fausto Canel] 16mm/b&w; doc/?m |
1960 |
Cooperativas agropecuarias [Fausto Canel] 16mm/b&w; doc/?m |
1960 |
El tabaco [Humberto Arenal] 16mm/b&w; doc/?m; prod ICAIC |
1960 |
Asamblea general [Tomás Gutiérrez Alea] b&w; doc/14m; cph: Ramón Suárez, Jorge Haydú, Luis Marzoa, a.o.; prod ICAIC |
1960 |
Carnet de viaje/Travel Notebook [Joris Ivens] b&w; doc/34m; uncred cph; ph: Jorge Herrera & Ramón Suárez |
1960 |
Gente en la playa/Sunday by the Sea/People of the Beach [Néstor Almendros] 16mm/b&w; doc/12m; + scrpl |
1961 |
La tumba francesca [Nestor Almendros & Orlando Jiménez Leal] 16mm/b&w; doc/8m; cph: O. Jiménez Leal; + scrpl |
1964 |
Nadja à Paris [Eric Rohmer] 16mm/b&w; doc/13m |
1964 |
Pour mon anniversaire [Pierre-Richard Bré] 16mm/?; short/15m; cph: ? |
1964 |
Paris vu par.../Six in Paris [1. Jean Douchet ('Saint-Germain-des-Prés'), 2. Jean Rouch ('Gare du Nord'), 3. Jean-Daniel Pollet ('Rue Saint-Denis'), 4. Éric Rohmer ('Place de l'Étoile'), 5. Jean-Luc Godard ('Montparnasse et Levallois') & 6. Claude Chabrol ('La Muette')] 16mm-35bu/c; 6 seg; ph seg 1 (18m), cph seg 4 (15m) & addph seg 5 (14m); other ph: Étienne Becker (seg 2 & cph seg 4), Alain Levent (seg 3 & cph seg 4), Albert Maysles (seg 5 & cph seg 6) & Jean Rabier (cph seg 6); Almendros' name does not appear in the credits because he did not have a work permit |
1965 |
Le sursistaire [Serge Huet] 16mm/b&w; short/15m |
1965 |
Une étudiante d'aujourd'hui [Eric Rohmer] 16mm/b&w; doc/13m |
1965 |
[Les mauvaises fréquentations:] Le père Noël a les yeux bleus [Jean Eustache] b&w; short/47m; ph for one day; cph: Daniel Lacambre & Philippe Théaudière |
1966 |
Loin des yeux [Claude Depêche] ?; short/?m |
1966 |
L'insuffisance mitrale [Marie-José Weber] ?; short/?m |
1966 |
Six contes moraux - IV - La collectionneuse/The Collector [Eric Rohmer] c; + small part |
1967 |
The Wild Racers [Daniel Haller & (uncred) Roger Corman] c; 2uc: Daniel Lacambre; addph (Holland): Alex Boon |
1967 |
Tuset Street [Jorge Grau & Luis Marquina] c; uncred cph; ph: Alejandro Ulloa (finished the film) |
1968 |
La fermière à Montfauçon [Eric Rohmer] 16mm/c; short/13m |
1968 |
La méduse [Jacques Rozier] unfinished |
1968 |
More [Barbet Schroeder] c; + art dir |
1969 |
Ma nuit chez Maud/My Night at Maud's [Eric Rohmer] b&w |
[Left] with François Truffaut - "L'enfant sauvage"
1969 |
L'enfant sauvage/The Wild Child/The Wild Boy [François Truffaut] b&w |
1969 |
Des bleuets dans la tête [Gérard Brach] c; short/600mtr |
1969 |
Gun Runner/The Gunrunners [Richard Compton] c; cph: Harold Archambault; as John Nestor |
1969 |
Paddy [Daniel Haller] c; uncred cph; ph: Daniel Lacambre |
1969 |
El baston [Nestor Almendros] c; short/12m; + scrpl |
1970 |
Domicile conjugal/Bed and Board [François Truffaut] c |
1970 |
Six contes moraux - V - Le genou de Claire/Claire's Knee [Eric Rohmer] c |
1971 |
Les deux anglaises et le continent/Two English Girls/Anne and Muriel [François Truffaut] c |
1971 |
Sing-Sing [Barbet Schroeder] 16mm/c; ethnological doc/13m |
1971 |
Le repas rituel/Le rite du cochon [Barbet Schroeder] 16mm/c; ethnological doc/15m |
1971 |
Maquillages [Barbet Schroeder] 16mm/c; ethnological doc/13m |
1971 |
Le cochon aux patates douces [Barbet Schroeder] 16mm/c; ethnological doc/12m |
1971 |
La vallée/The Valley [, Obscured by Clouds] [Barbet Schroeder] ts/c |
1972 |
Les praticables de Jean Dubuffet [Jacques Scandelari & Daniel Cordier] c; doc/15m; cph: Henri Szap |
1972 |
L'amour, l'après-midi/Love in the Afternoon/Chloe in the Afternoon [Eric Rohmer] c |
With dir Henri Graziani [right] - "Poil de carotte"
1972 |
Poil de carotte [Henri Graziani] c |
1973 |
L'oiseau rare/A Rare Bird [Jean-Claude Brialy] c |
1973 |
Femmes au soleil/15 août [Liliane Dreyfus] c |
1973 |
La gueule ouverte [Maurice Pialat] c |
1973 |
Général Idi Amin Dada, autoportrait/General Amin [Barbet Schroeder] 16mm-35bu/c; doc/86m |
1973 |
The Gentleman Tramp [Richard Patterson & Peter Bogdanovich] b&w-c; doc/78m; ph Switzerland seq; addph: Bruce Logan; finished in 1975 |
1974 |
Born to Kill/Cockfighter/Wild Drifter/Gamblin' Man [Monte Hellman] c; 2uc: Allen Facemire |
1974 |
Mes petites amoureuses [Jean Eustache] c |
1975 |
L'histoire d'Adèle H./The Story of Adele H. [François Truffaut] c |
1975 |
Maîtresse/Mistress [Barbet Schroeder] c |
1975 |
La marquise d'O.../Die Marquise von O.../The Marquise of O [Eric Rohmer] c |
1976 |
Days of Heaven [Terrence Malick] 35mm (+ 70bu)/c; addph: Haskell Wexler; 2uc: Paul Ryan; time-lapse ph: Ken Middleham |
1976 |
L'homme qui aimait les femmes/The Man Who Loved Women [François Truffaut] c |
1977 |
Cambio de sexo/Change of Sex/I Want to Be a Woman [Vicente Aranda] c; cph: José Luis Alcaine |
1977 |
Koko, le gorille qui parle/Koko, a Talking Gorilla [Barbet Schroeder] 16mm-35bu/c; doc/85m |
1977 |
La vie devant soi/Madame Rosa [Moshe Mizrahi] c |
1977 |
Goin' South [Jack Nicholson] c; addph: Hugh Gagnier |
1977 |
La chambre verte/The Green Room [François Truffaut] c |
1978 |
Perceval le Gallois [Eric Rohmer] p/c |
1978 |
L'amour en fuite/Love on the Run [François Truffaut] b&w-c |
1978 |
Kramer vs. Kramer [Robert Benton] c; assoc ph: Joe Coffey |
1979 |
The Blue Lagoon [Randal Kleiser] c; addph: Vincent Monton; 2uc (+ insert ph): Peter Lyons Collister; uwph: Ron & Valerie Taylor |
[Center] with dir François Truffaut [left] - "Le dernier métro"
1980 |
Le dernier métro/The Last Metro [François Truffaut] c |
1980 |
Outre-mer [Jacques Fieschi] c; short/21m |
1981 |
Still of the Night [Robert Benton] c; collab doph: Joe Coffey; + small part |
1982 |
Sophie's Choice [Alan J. Pakula] c |
1982 |
Pauline à la plage/Pauline at the Beach [Eric Rohmer] c |
1982 |
Vivement dimanche!/Finally Sunday!/Confidentially Yours [François Truffaut] b&w |
1983 |
Places in the Heart [Robert Benton] c; 2uc: Don Reddy & Philip Pfeiffer |
1986 |
Heartburn [Mike Nichols] c |
1987 |
Nadine [Robert Benton] c |
1988 |
New York Stories [seg 'Life Lessons' dir by Martin Scorsese] c; 3 seg; other ph: Sven Nykvist & Vittorio Storaro |
1988 |
Imagine: John Lennon [Andrew Solt] 16mm-35bu/b&w-c; doc/106m |
1989 |
Reversal of Fortune [Barbet Schroeder] was the intended doph, but couldn't ph the film due to a scheduling conflict; film was ph by Luciano Tovoli |
1989 |
Catherine Deneuve, un portrait [Antoinette Fouque] 16mm/c; doc/?m |
[Left] with Martin Scorsese and Giorgio Armani
"Made in Milan" - photo Thys Ockersen Archive
1990 |
Made in Milan [Martin Scorsese] c; doc/27m |
1990 |
Billy Bathgate [Robert Benton] c; vfx ph: John P. Mesa; uwph: Jordan Klein Sr. |
1991 |
The Mambo Kings [Arne Glimcher] c; pick-up ph; ph: Michael Ballhaus |
TELEVISION | |
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1965 |
Le jardin public [Nestor Almendros] doc/24m/16mm/b&w; ep series 'Étude du milieu' |
1965 |
La gare [Nestor Almendros] doc/20m/16mm/b&w |
1965 |
Un dimanche chez le pâtissier [Nestor Almendros] doc/5m/16mm/b&w; ep series 'Dim Dam Dom' |
196? |
La journée d'un savant [Nestor Almendros] doc/?m/16mm/b&w |
196? |
La journée d'un medecin [Nestor Almendros] doc/?m/16mm/b&w |
196? |
La journée d'un journaliste [Nestor Almendros] doc/?m/16mm/b&w |
196? |
La journée d'une vendeuse [Nestor Almendros] doc/?m/16mm/b&w |
196? |
Au pays basque [Nestor Almendros] doc/?m/16mm/b&w |
196? |
En Corse [Nestor Almendros] doc/?m/16mm/b&w |
196? |
La Grèce [Nestor Almendros] 3-part doc/?m/16mm/b&w |
196? |
La vie économique au XIIIème siècle [Nestor Almendros] 3-part doc/?m/16mm/b&w |
1968 |
Holiday in London Town [Nestor Almendros] 7-part doc/?m/16mm/b&w |
1970 |
La créature [Claude Guillemot] tvm/60m/16mm |
1976 |
Des journées entières dans les arbres/Entire Days Among the Trees [Marguerite Duras] tvm/16mm; also released theatrically (35bu) |
1977 |
Le Centre Georges Pompidou - Beaubourg/Beaubourg, centre d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou [Roberto Rossellini] doc/57m; c.op: Jean Chiabaut & Emmanuel Machuel |
FILMS & TELEVISION AS DIRECTOR | |
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1950 |
Una confusión cotidiana [co-d; + ph] see Films |
1951 |
La boticaria [+ ph] unfinished; see Films |
1953 |
Un monólogo de Hamlet [co-d; + cph] see Films |
1953 |
Sabá [+ ph] see Films |
195? |
Nunca [+ ph] unfinished; see Films |
1956 |
The Mount of Luna [+ ph] see Films |
1959 |
58-59 [+ scrpl/ph] see Films |
1960 |
Escuelas rurales/Escuela rural [doc/16m/b&w; + scrpl] ph: Jorge Haydú |
1960 |
Ritmo de Cuba [doc/20m/c; + scrpl] ph: Antonio Ruiz; prod ICAIC |
1960 |
Gente en la playa/Sunday by the Sea/People of the Beach [+ scrpl/ph] see Films |
1961 |
La tumba francesca [co-d; + scrpl/cph] see Films |
1965 |
Le jardin public [+ ph] see Television |
1965 |
La gare [+ ph] see Television |
1965 |
Un dimanche chez le pâtissier [+ ph] see Television |
196? |
La journée d'un savant [+ ph] see Television |
196? |
La journée d'un medecin [+ ph] see Television |
196? |
La journée d'un journaliste [+ ph] see Television |
196? |
La journée d'une vendeuse [+ ph] see Television |
196? |
Au pays basque [+ ph] see Television |
196? |
En Corse [+ ph] see Television |
196? |
La Grèce [+ ph] see Television |
196? |
La vie économique au XIIIème siècle [+ ph] see Television |
1968 |
Holiday in London Town [+ ph] see Television |
1969 |
El baston [+ scrpl/ph] see Films |
1983 |
Mauvaise conduite/Improper Conduct [co-d: Orlando Jiménez Leal; + co-scrpl; doc/115m] ph: Dominique Merlin |
1984 |
Nadie escuchaba/Nobody Listened [co-d: Jorge Ulla; + co-prod/co-scrpl; doc/117m] ph: Orson Ochoa |
MISCELLANEOUS | |
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1964 |
Paris vu par.../Six in Paris [seg #6 'La Muette' dir by Claude Chabrol] asst dir; ph: Jean Rabier |
1973 |
Villa 'Les Dunes' [Madeleine Hartmann-Clausset] tech adv; ph: François Pailleux |