SVEN NYKVIST, Director of Photography

Light keeps me company

SVEN NYKVIST ( 3 Dec, 1922 , Sweden - 20 Sep, 2006 , Sweden ) has his initial education in Still Photography in Stockholm Municipal School for Photographers. In 1941, when he was 19 yeas old, he joined at Sandrews Studio as camera assistant. The next year he shot his first film: General von Döbeln (1942) by Olof Molander . Cinecittà Studios, in Rome had him as camera assistant in 1943-1944, under Mario Soldati and Franco Vigni's supervision. This, we may consider, was very important for Nykvist's natural light and natural skin tones preference. In his first years he has worked mainly with directors Schamyl Bauman and Ivar Johansson.

NYKVIST also directed several long features. In each of them, he was also the director of photography: Under södra korset (1952) by Olof Bergström and Sven Nykvist ; Gorilla (1956) by Sven Nykvist and Lars- Henrik Ottoson ; Lianbron (1965); En och en / One on One (1978) by Erland Josephson , Sven Nykvist and Ingrid Thulin and Oxen (1991).

In 1953 he works for the first time with director Ingmar Bergman in Gycklarnas afton / Sawdust and Tinsel / Sunset of a Clown / The Naked Night . Bergman's career as had started in 1946 and until then he had worked with director of photography Gunnar Fischer. His preference was high contrast light/ darkness image, almost the opposite to Nykvist's approach that always went for natural skin tones. This made a big difference in Bergman's movies and we can say they both were very lucky to meet.

NYKVIST has also worked with directors Alf Sjöberg , Arne Mattsson , Gunnar Hellström , Kurt Hoffmann. He has filmed for the first time using both colour and black and white in Karin Månsdotter (1954) by Alf Sjöberg . From his many collaborations he has worked in Black Moon (1975) and Pretty Baby (1978) by Louis Malle , Le Locataire / The Tenant (1976) by Roman Polanski, La Tragédie de Carmen (1983) by Peter Brook, Star 80 (1983) by Bob Fosse Starting Over (1979) and Dream Lover (1986) by Alan J. Pakula , Offret / The Sacrifice (1986) by Andrei Tarkovsky , Chaplin (1992) by Richard Attenborough, Sleepless in Seattle (1993) by Nora Ephron and What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) by Lasse Hallström .

Actress Liv Ullmann , one of Bergman's favourite choose Nykvist for her second long feature Kristin Lavransdatter (1995) and once again for Enskilda samtal / Private Confessions (1996) (TV) written by Ingmar Bergman.

Director Woody Allen, always a Bergman's huge admirer, recognizing Nykvist's important role for Bergman's final result has chosen Nykvist to photograph Another Woman (1988), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Celebrity (1998). It was while working in this last movie, Celebrity , that in 1997 he was diagnosed with progressive aphasia, a form of dementia. This movie was shoot in black and white, honouring old cinema and trusting in the beautiful Nykvist's art.

He has   written three books and his soon, Carl- Gustaf Nykvist , has directed a documentary about his father, Light Keeps Me Company (1999).

Ingmar Bergman and Sven Nykvist's collaborations

Gycklarnas afton / Sawdust and Tinsel/ Sunset of a Clown/ The Naked Night (1953)

Jungfrukällan / The Virgin Spring (1960)

Såsom i en spegel / Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

Nattvardsgästerna / Winter Light (1962)

Tystnaden / The Silence (1963)

För att inte tala om alla dessa kvinnor / Now About These Women (1964)

Persona (1966)

Vargtimmen / Hour of the Wolf (1968)

Skammen / Shame (1968)

Riten / The Ritual (1969) (TV)

En Passion/ The Passion of Anna (1969) cor e pb

Fårödokument 1969/ Faro Document (1970) (TV) doc

Beröringen / The Touch (1971) [first full colour film]

Viskningar och rop / Cries and Whispers (1972)

Scener ur ett äktenskap / Scenes from a Marriage (1973)

Ansikte mot ansikte / Face to Face (1976)

The Serpent's Egg (1977)

Höstsonaten / Autumn Sonata (1978)

Aus dem Leben der Marionetten / From the Life of the Marionettes (1980)

Fanny och Alexander/ Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Efter repetitionen / After the Rehearsal (1984) (TV)

Film Awards:

Guldbagge Awards

Jury Specialbagge , 1973

National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA

Cries and Whispers (1972), 1973

César Awards, France

Black Moon (1975), 1976

Academy Awards, USA

Cries and Whispers (1972), 1974

Fanny and Alexander (1982), 1984

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

Fanny and Alexander (1982), 1983

British Society of Cinematographers

Fanny and Alexander (1982), 1983

BAFTA Awards

Fanny and Alexander (1982), 1984

Cannes Film Festival

The Sacrifice (1986), Best Artistic Contribution, 1986

Independent Spirit Awards

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), 1989

Career Awards:

Madridimagen

Madridimagen Golden Award, 1998

American Society of Cinematographers, USA

Lifetime Achievement Award, 1996

Brothers Manaki International Film Festival

Golden Camera 300 for Lifetime Achievement, 1998

Camerimage

Lifetime Achievement Award, 1993

Best Duo of All Times: Director - Cinematographer

Shared with:

Ingmar Bergman, 1998