MEXICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS |
During the last edition of Cannes Festival 2007, the French Association of Directors of Photography (AFC) has received Antonio Riestra (President of the Mexican Society of Cinematographers) – AMC) in AFC-CST's pavilion. Taking a chance on Riestra's visit, Willy Kurant has done a small interview:
Willy Kurant : Antonio who are you? Antonio Riestra: My name is Antonio Riestra and I'm the President of AMC, the Mexican Society of Cinematographers. AMC has 40 members, among them Emmanuel Lubezki, Rodrigo Prieto, Guillermo Navarro... It's a very young society, it has 12 years. Willy Kurant: It's hard to compare you to other European societies. Mexican DoPs are true stars in the USA. How do you explain that? Antonio Riestra: Above it all it's an adventure along with the directors. We represent the “latino” image to the world. We're not seasonal workers anymore. There's a Mexican tradition embodied by Gabriel Figueroa that's a reference for us. Willy Kurant: Those DoPs had a classic style, like the contrasted skies from Emilio Fernandez's films. What really gets me nowadays is that Mexican DoPs are regarded as the best DoPs in the world. Antonio Riestra: Among the best, no doubt about it. We have started a new style of points of view, a new wave (nouvelle vague). For instance, when Rodrigo Prieto has shot “Amores Perros” he used a 800 ISO film, with no bleaching and fully shot with the camera on his shoulder. Shooting with the camera on the shoulder defines the beginning of Mexican new wave. Willy Kurant: In Mexico, that way of shooting has been used a long time after it has been used in Europe. Nowadays, we are trying to go back to the 60s and updated it; I'm thinking about the work of Eric Gautier or Stéphane Fontaine. Antonio Riestra: In Mexico, I think about Lubezki where the photography is very romantic. In Tim Burton's film, “Sleepy Hollow”, he touches the essence of that world. Willy Kurant: I shot in Mexico, a while ago. I remember that I wasn't able to find a lot of lighting material. Seeing “Sleepy Hollow” we realize that the amount of light is very important. How did Lubezki has done it? “Sleepy Hollow” was shot in the USA away from the minimalism imposed by Mexican fragile material availabilities. Antonio Riestra: Nowadays, EFD (the most important Arri house of hiring in Mexico, or Panavision) brings everything you want to Mexico. The houses of hiring are expanding yearly and they're bringing anything you want, even directly from Hollywood. Let's not forget Guillermo Navarro that has done a comeback via Hollywood with “Cronos” by Guillermo del Toro - or smaller budget films by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino in L.A. - where he saw, at last, using a sophisticated photography creating almost a magic realism in “Pan's Labyrinth” from del Toro... that has won him an Oscar. Willy Kurant: You live in Prague, how is that compatible with the fact of being AMC's President? Antonio Riestra: I fell in love with Prague's light, and culture, and I've become needy of that cultural shock. Out society has 5 members in the main committee so we can easily replace ourselves. Moreover, I go to Mexico every 3 months. Kodak and houses of hiring essentially sponsor AMC. We're not wealthy but our budget allows us to keep our office running. But we're about to develop a collaboration with Morelia 's Festival. We want to create a cinematography award to DoPs. Willy Kurant: How do you evaluate the relation between AMC and Imago? Antonio Riestra: Our relation with Imago has still a lot to bring and a world society of DoPs needs to be conceived. We are able to advise, recommend a specific technician or worker for a shooting and in return to receive the same advice when we're abroad. Through Master classes we have an extraordinary opportunity to get to know each other and exchange experiences, and to share the way we work with others. Interview translated by Diana Soeiro from: AFC Newsletter September 2007 (Image by J N Ferragut – Wiilly Kurant (left) and Antonio Riestra (right) at AFC-CST terrace in Cannes)
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