Un Documentaire De Pierre Filmon New Hollywood Words on Images Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond 1970
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FASTPROD LOST FILMS RADIANT IMAGES TCM CINÉMA CLOSE PRÉSENTENT Vilmos ZSIGMOND John BOORMAN Jerry SCHATZBERG Darius KHONDJI ENCOUNTERS Nancy ALLEN John TRAVOLTA Peter FONDA WITH VILMOS Mark RYDELL Vittorio STORARO Isabelle HUPPERT ZSIGMOND UN DOCUMENTAIRE DE PIERRE FILMON NEW HOLLYWOOD WORDS ON IMAGES CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH VILMOS ZSIGMOND 1970. After the New Wave drastically changed cinema Is an encounter of another kind. An encounter the world over, with new producers and new ways of fil- The director and cinematographer should be between the “Last of the Mohicans”, legendary ming, Hollywood and its studios, aware of the success of films from the Old Continent, also sees the arrival of a dancing together, they should be just as much as American cinematographer, Vilmos Zsigmond, new generation of promising producers and a whole new the director has to be dancing with the actors. And when that dance starts, the cinematographer has aged 83, and a young French director, way of making films. to be the one that captures that dance. 1970. Birth of New Hollywood: Dennis Hopper, Peter Pierre Filmon who in 2013 asked Zsigmond if he PETER FONDA would film his first full length feature Fonda, Robert Altman, Michael Cimino, Bob Rafel- son, Hal Ashby, Jerry Schatzberg, Francis Ford Cop- (A Dream Last Night) in Florida. Whilst they are With László Kovács We decided to call our style pola, Peter Bogdanovich, William Friedkin, Martin “Poetic Realism”. The poetry is in the lighting and waiting for financing, another film, an unplanned Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Brian De in compositions. We tried to make our composi- fruit of their encounters, will see the light of day. Palma, Paul Schrader or Terrence Malick take fresh tions look like paintings. I was especially inspired A film where this time the cinematographer will look at society, changing Hollywood’s styles and dras- by Rembrandt, Georges de La Tour, Caravaggio and tically reducing production costs by using actors mostly the Dutch painters… My photographic style be in front of the camera. from their own generation and new technicians. is not so different from other cinematographers I Filmed in Paris, Italy, California and the country The influence of their films is significant. like. I mean for example, László Kovács, Haskell VILMOS ZSIGMOND Wexler, Owen Roizman, and talking of Europeans, 1970. Birth of Pierre Filmon. Twenty years later, he’s a where he was born, Hungary, between May 2014 Vittorio Storaro and Darius Khondji. We all have and March 2016, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH self-taught film buff and an avid cinema-goer. He’s fasci- Vilmos Zsigmond was born in Szeged (Hungary) in 1930. that same kind of style… nated by images and passionate about the great cinema- At the age of twenty-five, having graduated from the Aca- VILMOS ZSIGMOND is a documentary, a journey tographers: Edouard Tissé, Karl Freund, Gregg Toland, demy of Drama and Film in Budapest, he went to work VILMOS ZSIGMOND with the most brilliant man from behind the James Wong Howe or Jack Cardiff, inseparable from the at the Hunnia Film Studio as 1st AC, cameraman and Vilmos is not just a photographer. He’s a thinking scenes along with his director, actor and cinema- producers they work with. In New Hollywood, an unusual director of photography. In 1956, along with his friend, photographer because he was always suggesting tographer friends. and unpronounceable name catches his attention: Vil- László Kovács, he chronicled the Revolution in Budapest, an idea and I knew that he read the script. He was mos Zsigmond. Emblematic Director of photography in fled, and then crossed Europe with their film under their interested in what we were going to shoot, about the seventies, Vilmos Zsigmond brings his very own per- arms, en-route to the United States. In New York, László the script and the acting. He was always worrying sonal touch to The Hired Hand (1971), McCabe & Mrs Miller and Vilmos work in photo studios or laboratories before about what the audience was going to think which (1971), Scarecrow (1973), Deliverance (1973), The Sugarland heading off to try their hand at the cinema industry on you don’t find everybody that aware of. Express (1974), Obsession (1976) and The Deer Hunter (1978). the West Coast. In 1963, Vilmos films The Sadist (the JERRY SCHATZBERG That same year he won an Oscar for best cinemato- first American film he worked on as a DoP) but under the graphy for the second film he’d worked on with Steven name William Zsigmond (as with a whole series of small Many movies are shot more beautifully than they Spielberg. budget sixties horror films). It’s Peter Fonda who “gave should be. I can tell a cinematographer is good This documentary’s name is taken from the original him back” his first name in 1970 when he took him on when his work, his style match with the story he tells. It‘s easy to make pretty images but sometimes English-language title of that film,Close Encounters of the board to work on the first film he directed:The Hired Hand. it ruins the movie and people will not feel what the Third Kind. For four decades, up to and including his work with story is about. With all the new digital tools, you Woody Allen in 2010 on You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, can enhance the colour, trick, push everything and — Vilmos Zsigmond’s name will be linked to those of make pictures look overly stylised. the most renowned film directors. VILMOS ZSIGMOND “In my opinion, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Images and The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman), Deliverance (John Boorman), Scarecrow, Sweet The Sugarland Express Revenge and No Small Affair (Jerry Schatzberg), Sugarland is the perfect example Express and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spiel- of a film where a director berg), Cinderella Liberty, The Rose, The River and Intersec- tion (Mark Rydell), The Last Waltz (Martin Scorsese), The and a cinematographer Deer Hunter and Heaven’s Gate (Michael Cimino), Witches have worked marvellously of Eastwick (George Miller), Fat Man and Little Boy (Roland Joffé), The Two Jakes (Jack Nicholson), Maverick and well together.” Assassins (Richard Donner), The Crossing Guard (Sean — Penn), The Ghost and the Darkness (Stephen Hopkins), Jer- sey Girl (Kevin Smith), Melinda and Melinda and Cassandra’s Dream (Woody Allen). CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH VILMOS ZSIGMOND A documentary by Pierre Filmon France - 2016 - 80 min - Color -DCP Print 2K English, Italian and French spoken LETTER TO VILMOS World Premiere Festival de Cannes – Cannes Classics Vilmos, what I miss the most is no longer seeing you in real life. I wanted to make this film for you, with you. I wanted to film your SYNOPSIS friends and celebrate you with them. I wanted Without Vilmos Zsigmond (who died to tell the whole world about what you meant on January 1st, 2016), American cinema to cinema and what you meant to me. It’s hard of the seventies would not have been to talk about you in the past tense. You inspired the same. Invited to Paris in 2014 to a whole generation of cinematographers and talk about his career, this legendary brought dreams to so many cinema fans. With cinematographer accepts to find himself Charlotte, my film editor, when I’m checking a in front of the camera for an encounter cut or improving a scene or adjusting a music PIERRE FILMON SÉLECTION OFFICIELLE track, you are right there on the screen, so very of another kind. much alive. Pierre Filmon was born in Angers in 1970. At the age FESTIVAL DE CANNES 2016 CANNES CLASSICS of 22, after studying literature and music, he filmed CREW Where should I start? With Darius Khondji, his trip across China on the Trans-Siberian Railway Production : FastProd, Lost Films Hommage à Vilmos Zsigmond without whom I would never have met you and using a 16mm camera. These images led to his first and Radiant Images in cooperation who sent you my scenario? In autumn 2013, short film China Blues (1996). This is followed by The CINÉMATHÈQUE FRANÇAISE with TCM Cinema upon my invitation, you came to Paris to talk Nuptials (1999) based on Chekhov and First Came the Juillet 2016 to the audience at the Grand Action cinema Silence (2002) with Rüdiger Vogler. His three short Written and directed by Pierre Filmon Cinematography : Olivier Chambon between screenings of Heaven’s Gate and Deli- films are showcased at festivals in France and abroad Festival International du Film de verance. Jean-François Stévenin, Pierre-Wil- and win several prizes before being released in French LA ROCHELLE 2016 (Paris-Budapest), James Chressantis liam Glenn and Marc Olry were there. I’ll never cinemas in February 2004. (USA), Luca Coassin (Rome) forget the dinner the two of us shared when I Whilst working as a projectionist at the Grand Action Sound : Pascal Ribier (Paris) made you laugh with the story of my first love cinema in Paris, Pierre develops his documentary or fic- FRENCH RELEASE Tad Chamberlain (USA) affair in Budapest. We hit it off straight away. tion feature projects. Papa est mort, his first short docu- FALL 2016 Editing : Charlotte Renaut I knew I had to make this film about you. You mentary film, is presented at the Clermont-Ferrand and LOST FILMS Distribution Music : Samy Osta gave me your trust, without really knowing Pantin festivals. In summer 2016, he’ll be shooting his me, simply because you liked my scenario and first full length fiction film, Long Time No See, produced the characters. You really wanted to take on by Paprika Films and starring Mélanie Doutey, Jonathan WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF the cinematography of my film.