AIC, 1988 - AIC Associazione Italiana Autori della Fotografia ...

AIC
concrete pratiche,
rispecchiamenti estetici di prassi
e idee politiche. L'impegno, al
contrario, è quello di restare con
i piedi per terra. E non trovo
nulla di male a considerarmi
ingranaggio, allo stesso livello del
regista e di altri lavoratori del
cinema, di un meccanismo di
mercato.
Il peggio sarebbe se io non fossi
consapevole di tutto ciò e
mascherassi la mia ignoranza
rincorrendo la favola di una
bellezza prodotta dalla luce che
pura più non è, innocente lo è
ancora meno.
There is a lot of talk nowadays —
maybe, too much — about the Director
of Photography's right to be called a
Photographic Author. If it were merely
a question of semantics, then the whole
thing would be of minor importance;
although, it is true that words are
important and, often, changes in
definition, like the above, can either be
the result of a new cultural trend or
contribute to creating one. However,
campaigning for a mere verbal
adjustment, is like debating the sex of
"Oci Ciornie" di Franco Di Giacomo
angels.
On the other hand, if the question
being discussed is merely that of
royalties that would be due to the
Director of Photography should he be
nominated "co-author", then one
would be ignoring the cultural aspect,
which I feel is particulary relevant, and
regarding which 1 would like to make
the following points:
Who is at the service of what? And
what is the precise relationship
between the Director of Photography
and the Director? When one talks
about collaboration, one has to
recognize that the Director of
Photography is at the service of the
film; at the service of a particular
vision of the world, in which the
individual talents that go to create it
are utilized according to Director's
wishes, and as his intelligence decrees.
And as his vision of the film implies
our beautiful photography being
interpreted in a particular way, it is
the Director of Photography's duty,
having accepted the assignment, to
help the Director realize what he
wants to achieve aesthetically in the
photography. This is what 1 mean by
being at the service of a film.
Even though Film and Director can be
said to be one in the same, this dues
not mean that the Director of
Photography automatically has to
embrace the Director's choices
regarding the photography. However,
what could possibly justify the Director
of Photography's asserting his own
judgment, or acting on his own
initiative?
If, for example, a Director asks a
Director of Photography to shoot a
film without back lighting, this doesn't
necessarily mean that the Director of
Photography has to feel that his
creative freedom is being curbed, or his
capacity for making decisions
questioned. Eventual differences of
opinion can always be discussed and
resolved, as long as there is mutual
respect. In fact, this is exactly what
happened to me when I was working
on Oci Ciornie when, because of M.'s
preference for natural light, as opposed
to artifical light, 1 found myself having
to adjust the relationship between the
exteriors and interiors in a way to
which 1 was unaccustomed.
However, in this case, the Director
proved to be right, as — and this is
what I particularly want to emphasize
— the aesthetic quality of the images
perfectly expressed what he wanted to
communicate in the film.
But let's go back to the beginning and
the question I asked earlier: it is
obvious that the Director of
Photography's being considered an
"author" is related to his knowledge of
lighting techniques and his capacity to
utilize them. However, when the word
"author" is used in a grandiose sense,
it immediately evokes equally
grandiose interpretations of Light,
Beauty, and Truth. It is as if the
Director of Photography had become a
worshipper of esoteric ideas, or a
defender of abstract ideals. In reality, it
is our job, as Directors of Photography,
to create the images, which we realize,
using both our fantasy and the various
technologies at our disposal which, if
used correctly, give us a greater
possibility of expressing ourselves. The
danger is, that we run the risk of
believing that we are the Champions
of a Lost Beauty, or that the Beauty
we create is synonymous with the
Meaning of Life and Truth.
The various changes that society has
undergone in the last few centuries
have, in fact, produced similar
fascinating concepts which, briefly
speaking, are not so much the
abstractions of one man, but concrete
expressions and artistic interpretations
of political beliefs.
A Director of Photography has to keep
his feet on the ground.
And 1, myself, have no problem in
considering myself a part of the general
cinema mechanism, along with the
Director and anyone else who works in
movies.
The worst thing would be if I were not
aware of the above, and still believed —
out of ignorance — in the fabled
concept of Beauty, created by Light,
when that same light is no longer pure,
and lost its innocence way, way back.