MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI |
(1912-2007) Sometimes, strange things happen. Directors Michelangelo Antonioni and Ingmar Bergman died the same day: July 30, 2007. Antonioni was 94 years old and Bergman was 89. Both men admired each other's work deeply. Stating the greatest respect and admiration for their breathtaking legacy, IMAGO briefly reviews their careers highlighting the cinematographers they have worked with. May their films never be forgotten.
Michelangelo Antonioni (b. 1912, Italy) graduated in Economics at the University of Bologna working then as a bank teller. At the same time he also did film critic for a local newspaper. Around 1940 he moved to Rome working as editorial secretary at Cinema (a magazine runned by Mussolini's son and published by the Fascist Entertainment Guild). During World War II he starts doing screenwriting continuing to do so even when he joins for some time to the Italian Army. Between 1943-1950 he does several short documentaries working mostly with experienced cinematographers like Piero Portalupi , Giovanni Ventimiglia, Renato Del Frate , Giovanni De Paoli , Goffredo Bellisario . In film titles Cronaca di un amore/ Chronicle of a Love (1950), La Signora senza camelie/ Camille Without Camelias (1953) and I Vinti/ Vanquished (1953) Antonioni works with cinematographer Enzo Serafin winning that same year a 12 years career award by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.
Cinematographer Gianni Di Venanzo was Antonioni's close collaborator in the following titles: Le Amiche/ The Girlfriends (1955) winning Best Director by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists and the Silver Lion by Venice Film Festival; Il Grido/ The Cry (1957) winning at the Locarno International Film Festival and Di Venanzo winning Best Cinematography by Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists; La Notte/ The Night (1961) winning the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and Di Venanzo being awarded again by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists; and L' Eclisse/ The Eclipse (1962) having a Cannes win.
L' Avventura/ The Adventure (1960) is Antonioni's first collaboration, of many, with writer Tonino Guerra. It's also his only collaboration with cinematographer Aldo Scavarda awarded in a few years later. The film won at the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, Cannes, London Film Festival, and had a BAFTA nomination. In his first colour film Il Deserto rosso/ The Red Desert (1964) Antonioni collaborates with cinematographer Carlo Di Palma winning Best Cinematography by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. The film gets Venice Golden Lion. Their next collaboration is Blowup (1966) getting several nomination and wins in the UK, USA, France, Italy, including an Oscar nomination for Best Director and Best Screenwritting. Di Palma gets a BAFTA nomination. Their third and last collaboration is Identificazione di una donna/ Identification of a Woman (1982). The film gets a Cannes nomination and also a 35 th anniversary career award for Antonioni.
nioni accepts a USA production film Zabriskie Point (1970) collaborating with highly experienced cinematographer Alfio Contini . They work together again in Antonioni's segment in Al di là delle nuvole/ Beyond the Clouds (1995) co-directed by Wim Wenders. The film gets a Venice win and Contini wins at David di Donatello Awards. Cinematographer Luciano Tovoli works for the first time with Antonioni, having then a 10 years experience, in a documentary on China, Chung Kuo - Cina (1972). To that follows Professione: reporter/ The Passenger (1975) winning Best Cinematography by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists and also a Cannes nomination and Best Director at Danish Bodil Awards. Their last collaboration is Il Mistero di Oberwald/ The Oberwald Myster (1981), a film adaptation of a Jean Cocteau's play. Antonioni's last films were the same genre as those he used to make in the beginning of his career: short documentaries: Kumbha Mela (1989), Noto, Mandorli, Vulcano, Stromboli, Carnevale (1993) and Lo Sguardo di Michelangelo/ The Gaze of Michelangelo (2004). Eros (2004) was Antonioni's last project featuring three different segments each directed by Steven Soderbergh, Antonioni and Wong Kar Wai. Antonioni's segment was based in an Antonioni's story and had Tonino Guerra's Screenplay, his life long collaborator and friend. Cinematography was made by Marco Pontecorvo . IMAGO trusts it was an honor to all cinematographers to work with such a talented director as Michelangelo Antonioni.
Diana Soeiro
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