Cannes 2023 Cinematography: The Cameras and Lenses Used to Shoot 45 Films

“About Dry Grasses”

Category: Competition
Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan, DoPs: Cevahir Sahin and Kursat Uresin

Format: 4K Anamorphic 6:5
Camera: Sony Venice
Lenses: Cooke Anamorphic/i SF 

Aim: The reason why we preferred anamorphic lenses was to convey to the audience the difficulty of the environment where our characters live, the loneliness they experience in this challenging place, and how the harsh nature puts pressure on their living spaces even when they withdraw into their own world. We also wanted to see how that difficult nature and harsh conditions embrace them when they’re happy.

We tested to a few different cameras for this project and finally we decided on the Sony Venice. The Venice has more color gamut than traditional film and more favorable 2.39:1 ratio 6:5 6K full frame maximum resolution when using anamorphic lenses. 16+ dynamic range also dual ISO giving very good low light performance which is we needed in this movie for most of the night scenes.

The new sensor gave us to opportunity to capture shadow details in the darkest areas and details in the brightest areas, from darkest scenes to very heavy snowy scenes, pressuring tones, colors and texture; it was almost important for us to have natural, smooth and silky skin tones, plus built in ND’ies are very useful when you are using double filter on the mattebox.

We had chance to work with this camera in very cold winter conditions like -30 degrees Celcius (-22 F), very hot summer conditions like 40 degrees Celcius (104 F) and studio conditions, and we got really good performance from the Sony Venice. 

“Agra”

Category: Director’s Fortnight
Dir: Kanu Behl, DoP: Saurabh Monga

Format: 2.8K ARRIRAW
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini
Lenses: Cooke S4i

Aim: There was an initial idea of shooting on S16mm but for various logistical reasons it didn’t make sense so we started looking for the next best option. Both Kanu and I try to stay away from the extreme sharpness of the newer lenses especially when paired with the new digital sensors, so we started testing for something that would give us that ‘soul’ we were searching for.

The Cooke S4s gave us just the right amount of warmth and ‘forgiveness’ that we needed to tell our story, a narrative which is quite harsh in nature and needed that visual empathy to soften the edges so to speak. And with the film being entirely handheld with long takes up to 10 minutes long, the Alexa Mini stripped down seemed like the best option for the film and my back.

We shot in the city of Agra in Northern India in the height of summer, temperatures reaching almost 50 degrees Celsius (122 F), where the sun bleaches out everything it touches. I felt that the Alexa sensor deals very well with the extreme highlights, letting us embrace the overexposure without completely ruining the image.

“Anatomy of a Fall”

Category: Competition
Dir: Justine Triet, DoP: Simon Beaufils

Format: Arriraw Open Gate 4.5K
Camera: Alexa Mini LF
Lenses: Anamorphic Hawk V-Lite

Aim: Justine had the feeling that it would be great to shoot this story on film. All her references, even in still photography, were from film footage. We made camera tests, 35mm in 2 Perfs, Red Monstro and Alexa LF with differents types of old lenses. With the 35mm as a reference we built a LUT and finally felt good with Alexa LF + Hawk V-lite. We croped a lot in the sensor, enhanced the anamorphic’s aberrations (even if the aspect ratio of the film is 1.85 we choose this anamorphic’s particular look) in order to feel “the material” more, to push the grain, distorsions, out of focus in the edge of the frame and flares. All kinds of “accidents” were welcome!

We worked with the same philosophy on the lighting, using some rough big entries of light from outside and almost nothing inside, making it a space where actors could be free to move, and play with light. This my third film with Justine but each time we’ve taken a new approach to shooting, it was really exciting!

“Asteroid City”

Category: Competition
Dir: Wes Anderson, DoP: Robert Yeoman 

Format: 35mm film – Kodak Vision 200T 5213 for color, Kodak Double X black and white 5222 for the black and white
Camera: ArriCam ST and Arricam LT
Lenses: Cooke S4 lenses for the spherical scenes, Arri Master Anamorphic lenses for the anamorphic scenes. 

Aim: Wes and I have used the Cooke S4 lenses on a few of our previous movies and like the look, particularly how they render faces. I like the Arri Master Anamorphic lenses because they hold focus across the entire image, whereas many anamorphic lenses fall off along the edges. I know that Wes often places many actors in the frame and I did not want those on the side of frame to be soft.

“Banel e Adama”

Category: Competition
Dir: Ramata-Toulaye Sy, DoP: Amine Berrada  

Format: ARRIRAW OPENGATE 3.4K
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini
Lenses: Zeiss Superspeed MkIII T1.3, Angénieux Optimo Zooms (15-40mm T2.6 + 45-120mm T2.8), Angénieux 25_250mm HR T3.5 

Aim: In “Banel e Adama,” nature itself is a main character. It reflects Banel’s feelings, which turn dry, overexposed and desaturated as the story between Banel and Adama unfolds. I needed the right tools to depict nature with precision and to see its details when shot wide. I also wanted to keep the image warm even when it was desaturated because I didn’t want to lose the heat of this environment, which is a key element in the story.
 So I needed lenses with great piqué and warmth.

But this was not all. How the lenses reacted with “flares” was also crucial. I tried several prime lenses and zooms to finally choose the Zeiss Superspeed T1.3 MKIII series, two Angénieux Optimo Zooms (15-40mm + 45-120mm) and one old Angénieux 25_250mm HR. I used the latter for several shots including the opening one, where non-recognisable round shapes move and merge with each other. From the very beginning the viewers would sense that they are about to watch a tale brimming with magic, mystery and iconic characters.

Another key element for me was the depth of field. When the story begins, everything seems idyllic. The future looks bright. To convey this, I chose a wide depth of field and wide lenses. The idea was to feel hope and freedom when picturing the characters. As this hope decreases throughout the story, the horizon behind the characters gets increasingly blocked and the depth of field gets more and more narrow. To achieve this evolution throughout the movie, the Zeiss Superspeed and its aperture of T1.3 was the right choice.

“Black Flies”

Category: Competition 
Dir: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire, DoP: David Ungaro

Format: ARRIRAW
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini LF
Lenses: MOVIECAM

Aim: This film was shot entirely handheld or on a stabilizer, so I needed lightweight and reasonably fast lenses that would also bring some texture to the image. The Moviecam lenses are based on vintage stills photo glass, and they did an incredible job. The desire was for an immersive camera, closely following the characters even in the upmost difficult moments. Those lenses also hold the flares quite well, keeping some contrast even in challenging conditions, and I knew we were going to be shooting in complex locations where we would only have partial control of the lighting.

“Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry”

Category: Director’s Fortnight 
Dir: Elene Naveriani, DoP: Agnesh-Pakozdi 

Format: Arri ProRes XQ 4.3K, not on 3.6K
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini LF
Lenses: Canon FD 

Aim: In “Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry,” we have a very strong and unique leading character who we follow a lot in narrow rooms, as well in vast landscapes. It is a very local story, where she is defined by the spaces and in the same time she is also defining them. Shooting full frame helped enhance this dynamic due to a slightly different and more wholistic perception of the space. Choosing the Mini LF has a lot to do with its great dynamic range and strong performance in the low light, knowing that the film has essential scenes that take place in the darkest nights.

The technical choices also took the ensemble into consideration, as this is a story about people in their autumn. The camera captures their different ways of aging, their different stories behind the fine lines. I was looking for a great color performance in the skin tones, also in high contrast situations, which the Mini LF could offer. The Canon FD primes gave us the right balance in being gentle but sharp with the ladies. Out in nature, they proved to be an excellent combination as well, looking at the bokeh, the smooth curve of the sharpness falling into the out of focus, or treating the highlights. Each focal length from the set had some specialties, which I like to adapt in the visuals. 

“Creatura”

Category: Director’s Fortnight  
Dir: Elena Martin, DoP: Alana Mejia Gonzalez

Format: ARRIRAW
Camera: Alexa Mini
Lenses: Hawk V-Lite 2x Anamorphic 

Aim: Elena early on told me that this film was and had to feel like a therapy session and that was how I felt it when I first read the script. This film talks about how digging in the past can make us understand how we constructed desire in different stages of our life, when we are aware of it and when we are not. Shooting in an anamorphic format felt like the perfect texture to capture the reinterpretation of feelings when we visit them decades later.

Elena is a big fan of horror films and we both felt that adding elements of genre to the cinematography could help us understand Mila’s emotional journey. We always talked that memory was like a ghost that wonder the house and the camera should take that place at points. We shoot a lot of the film on a gimbal for which shooting with an Alexa Mini and the Hawk V-Lite was a the perfect combination. Their compact size allowed us to move freely in such a tiny location. Hawk glass gave us the texture we were looking for, great skin tones and beautiful blues which has a narrative relevance.

Although the film is set across three different decades, 1997, 2007 and 2021 we never wanted to play a different look for those moments. We wanted the film to feel a continuous journey in which time, as memory and perceptions, blend into each other.

“Deserts”

Category: Director’s Fortnight 
Dir: Faouzi Bensaïdi, DoP: Florian Berutti

Format: 2.8K and OPEN GATE ARRIRAW
Camera: ARRI Alexa Mini
Lenses: KOWA anamorphics, LOMO 20-120, LOMO Super Speed

Aim: “Deserts” is my first collaboration with Faouzi. 
Directly after seeing his movie “Death For Sale” I was so impressed by his cinematographic style, that I knew I had to work with him. We had the same desire to tell stories from the inside of each shot and not through the storylines. Ten months later Faouzi called me and told me to come to shoot “Deserts.”

The movie is split in two parts: the first is a more classical way of storytelling happening in the contemporary Morocco and the second is a more contemplative and out of time story that tries to achieve a pure form of cinema while playing with the genre of fairy tales and Western.
 We decide to shoot the first part on spherical and the second with anamorphic lenses. I decide to use mainly my lomo 20-120 zoom lens for the first part. Faouzi loves to shoot long sequences on a dolly, and a zoom gives you the freedom to achieve the right framing in any circumstances.

For the second part I wanted Lomo round front lenses but they weren’t available so I had to go with the Kowas. Like on my previous movies in anamorphic I love to close the lenses to a minimum of T11 to really get the feeling that the shots are like tableau. The Kowa are really weak when not stopped down, so in low light situation I decided to used my lomo super speed on open gate.

“Firebrand”

Category: Competition 
Dir: Karim Aïnouz, DoP: Helene Louvart

Format: 4K 
Camera: Sony Venice
Lenses: Hawk Anamorphic

Aim: With Karim Aïnouz, we decided to shoot with the Sony Venice to keep some details as much as possible in the black level (darkness, moonlight, candles’s effect) and the Hawk Lenses help us to soft the highlights (sun through the stain glasses, candles, fireplaces).

“Hounds”

Category: Un Certain Regard
Dir: Kamal Lazraq, DoP: Amine Berrada

Format: ARRIRAW OPENGATE 3.4K
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini
Lenses: Leica Summilux-C T1.4

Aim: The film had to be immersive like a documentary, dark like a nightmare, rough like the “Pusher” trilogy by N.W. Refn, and the actors should never have to wait for the light or the camera. As the main characters were not professional actors, we had to make sure that nothing bothered them. We shot in continuity for that reason, for the non-professional main actors to thoroughly feel and experience what they were performing. We shot everything handheld: long, 15-minute shots without cutting, several times in a one-night shoot.

I chose the Alexa Mini for its lightness and good balance on my shoulder. I also chose this camera because of its grain/noise. I shot the whole movie between 1600 and 2000 ISO: this setting provided the precise amount of grain/noise that I was aiming for in order to produce the roughness we were seeking.

As the movie was shot by night, I lit most of the scenes following two main principles. The first one was to use moveable fixtures to be able to shoot in 360 degrees. The second one was to keep the sense of darkness in the image as much as possible. I wanted us all – crew and performers – to experience this darkness while shooting, like we had been thrown into the underworld.

I chose to shoot with the Leica Summilux-C T1.4 prime lenses. Their resolution and sharpness confer such relief and volume to the faces that they seem to come out from the dark as though they were a printmaker’s piece of work. This gave life to our characters in a strange and hostile universe.

“How To Have Sex”

Category: Un Certain Regard
Dir: Molly Manning Walker, DoP: Nicolas Canniccioni

Format: Prores4444 4.5K (sometimes 2.8K)
Camera: Alexa Mini LF
Lenses: Canon K35 

Aim: We chose to work with the Alexa Mini LF and Canon K35 lenses for aesthetic and technical reasons. The main location was relatively small, so the compactness and modular possibilities of the camera combined with the small size and weight of the lenses gave us the possibility to make good use of every centimeter available in the space, giving the actors maximum latitude. Most of the time we shot at the shoulder or at chest level very close to the characters.

We also chose to shoot in LF in order to minimize the use of very wide angle in small locations, which offered us the possibility of shooting mainly with 35mm and 55mm. The Canon K35s, in addition to offering us what we were looking for in terms of speed and image texture, are one of a kind when you are looking for compact vintage lenses covering large sensor. It is also a nod to Photographer Martin Parr who used a medium format camera equipped with a 55mm for his series of photos “The Last Resort”.

“If Only I Could Hibernate”

Category: Un Certain Regard
Dir: Zoljargal Purevdash, DoP: Davaanyam Delgerjargal

Format: 4.5K ARRIRAW
Cameras: Arri Alexa Mini LF, Red Scarlet Mysterium-X
Lenses: Sigma Cine Lenses, Zeiss Compact Prime Lenses

Aim: “If Only I Could Hibernate” is a social drama, and our director was aiming to portray the reality of our modern society. So, we decided to shoot the film mostly with handheld and static shots to give the sense of the mix of documentary and fiction. We did our shoot in the middle of January, at -35 degrees Celsius (-31 F) in the brutal Mongolian winter and our team mostly consisted of first-timers including myself. Also, we usually shot in real locations of yurt districts and so had to do difficult work of staging with young non-professional actors. These situations required us to use equipment that allowed us to be light and fast. 

“In Flames”

Category: Director’s Fortnight
Dir: Zarrar Kahn, DoP: Aigul Nurbulatova 

Format: 2.8K ARRIRAW
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini
Lenses: Leica R primes, Cooke Zoom lens

Aim: For “In Flames,” director Zarrar Kahn and I wanted a clean and realistic image without any distortions. We chose reliable and straightforward Leica R prime lenses to achieve this, with low contrast and warm tones for daytime scenes, and green accents for nighttime scenes. Green practical light is prevalent in Karachi, and it creates an authentic atmosphere while remaining very realistic. Using these tools, we created a natural and vibrant environment of bustling Karachi and placed our heroine in it, conveying the realism of her struggles.

“In Flames” is a psychological horror film that explores the very real challenges of life in Karachi. To capture the beauty of nature and realistic images, I opted for the Arri Alexa camera, which performed well in color transitions, skin tones, and details in dark places, even with minimal artificial light. The result is a film that captures the essence of Karachi, its people, and its challenges, in a realistic and engaging way. 

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”

Category: Out of Competition 
Dir: James Mangold, DoP: Phedon Papamichael 

Format: ARRIRAW (4.5K) (source format) / Digital Intermediate (4K) (Master Format)
Cameras: Arri Alexa LF / Alexa Mini LF
Lenses: Panavision C & T-Series Lenses (Expanded anamorphic to cover LF sensor)

Aim: James Mangold and I knew that continuing one of the most iconic franchises in film history would present a monumental task along with great responsibility. Our goal was to create a film that would integrate into the beloved franchise while adding our own flavor. In our prior collaborations we’ always embraced traditional Hollywood filmmaking, with wide-screen compositions, moving the actors and the camera with precise intent. The significant aspect to the Indiana Jones films is the ability to balance action and intimacy. This was something we strove to emulate in this final installment: a delicate dance between the epic and the personal, the same way we approached “Ford v Ferrari” and “3:10 to Yuma.”

The film is set in 1969, a time of cultural upheaval and change, and finds Indiana Jones, played by the incomparable Harrison Ford, a bit disillusioned and beleaguered. The opening sequence, which is in the grand tradition of its predecessors, feels like the resolution to a previous adventure’s cliff-hanger. As in previous Indy films, the movie features big set pieces and scale that fans have come to love. It was inspiring to fresh up on the Indy movies.

In order to capture the distinct look and feel of the original films, we chose to shoot on large format cameras and Panavision C & T-Series anamorphic lenses. These lenses provided us with a cinematic look that harkened back to the 1970s and the era of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The vintage anamorphic lenses allowed us to evoke a sense of nostalgia while maintaining a modern edge, avoiding the sterile appearance often associated with digital cinematography. This is underlined by the addition of an actual film-grain layer and a color-saturation and contrast-setting that resembles the original films in tone.

It was a daunting task, but we are truly proud of the result – a testament to the enduring magic and adventure of Indiana Jones. 

“Inshallah A Boy”

Category: Critic’s Week
Dir: Amjad Al Rasheed, DoP: Kanamé Onoyama

Format: 3.8K LF 16:9 UHD ARRIRAW
Camera: Alexa Mini LF
Lenses: Zeiss Contax Primes 

Aim: Amjad wanted his movie to have a rugged, authentic and sharp look. He believes that spherical lenses give a more natural and realistic look that matches closely with how the human eye sees the world, allowing the audience to feel like they are present and grounded within the story they are watching unfold.

The next question was whether we should use modern or vintage lenses. We both wanted to avoid lenses that were either too modern or too vintage. Zeiss Contax C/Y lenses were made in the 80s and the 90s, at the same time as the well-known Zeiss Super Speed Mark III which were the movie standard for Super 35 format for a long time. Those lenses allow for some subtle vintage features such as the presence of soft contrast when shooting wide open, blurry soft edges on the frame, a natural-looking vignette, all the while keeping a sharp image and allowing for good contrasts when using an aperture of T2.8.

Zeiss Contax lenses were the perfect choice to go with the Alexa Mini LF we used. From the first day of shooting Amjad seemed really happy with the way the image looked, it was exactly how he wanted it. I believe that the tools we picked were the perfect match for the realistic vision he had for his movie.

“La Chimera”

Category: Competition 
Dir: Alice Rorhwacher, DoP: Helene Louvart 

Format: 35mm, Super 16mm, 16mm
Cameras: Arri 35 LT, Arri 416, Super 16mm, Bolex 16 mm
Lenses: Ultra Prime Zeiss

Aim: To mix 35mm and super 16mm film was a sort of challenge for Alice and me. The difference should be perceptible, but not too “obviously done.” We decided to keep the super 16mm for the daily life of Arthur, a British archeologist, and to choose the 35mm for the Etruscan’s references, a way to link the present and the past with the Etruscan civilization.

“Le Regne Animal”

Category: Un Certain Regard 
Dir: Thomas Cailley, DoP: David Cailley 

Format: 4.5K ARRIRAW
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini LF 
Lenses: Panavision Primo 70

Aim: We wanted to be close to the actors and we loved the natural look of the skin given by the Panavision Primo lenses.

“Léngua”

Category: Director’s Fortnight 
Dir: Filipa Reis and João Miller Guerra, DoP: Vasco Viana

Format: 16mm, ARRIRAW 
Cameras: Arri 416, Alexa Mini, Sony A7s 2 
Lenses: Cooke s4, Cooke Ultra 16, Angenieux Optimum 28-340mm

Aim: The combination of the Cooke lenses’s softness with the beautiful color rendition of Kodak film was perfect for what the tone of the film and the story asked for. We wanted the camera to sit quietly in the corner and not move too much. In contrast with this observational aproach, in some scenes we used a optimum zoom to relay the emotional void of the characters. 

“Lost in the Night”

Category: Premieres  
Dir: Amat Escalante, DoP: Adrian Durazo 

Format: ARRIRAW 4.5K
Camera: Alexa Mini LF
Lenses: Cooke Anamorphic FF+ SF 

Aim: We shot on Alexa Mini LF. It’s compact and ergonomic, easy to configure for different setups and delivers excellent color and texture.

We decided on a 2.39 aspect ratio early on because of the rural setting and locations that deserved to be in a wide frame, and a main character that we wanted to keep at the center of everything. As a result, we focused our lens selection on anamorphic.

In addition to the wider frame, we also wanted glass that would hold good contrast and deliver a modern feel befitting the story, while providing some softness and character. After testing several modern anamorphics, we landed on the Cooke Anamorphic FF+ SF. These lenses gave us the contemporary feel we wanted, while still producing a nuanced image—the lenses produce excellent background separation, render very unique oval bokeh, and soften up at the edges of the frame. They also fill out the LF’s sensor quite nicely with a 1.8x squeeze. We found ourselves using the 75mm often, which at that sensor size, and being anamorphic, is a very versatile and expressive lens.

“Mambar Pierrette”

Category: Director’s Fortnight 
Dir: Rosine M’bakam, DoP: Fiona Braillon 

Format: ProResRaw
Camera: Sony FS7 II + Atomos
Lenses: Zoom Fujinon MK 18-55 and 50-135

Aim: Those were the right tools, first, because they were lended and with the film’s tight budget, that was very nice. Then I chose the light Fujinon zoom because of their weight, their range, and their texture. 

“Marguerite’s Theorem”

Category: Special Screening
Dir: Anna Novion, DoP: Jacques Girault

Format: 3.2k ProRes 4444, 3.4k ArriRaw
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini
Lenses: Cooke S4, Zoom Angenieux 28-76mm, Lensbaby Sweet Effect, Filtres kaleidoscope de chez TSF

Aim: Anna wanted a strong atmosphere, at the edge between American cinema (PT Anderson) and Asian cinema (Wong Kar Waï, Lee Chang-dong). The previous cinematographer’s camera list included Cooke s4, which is not my basic sensibility and I had very little time to think about changing them, preferring the older soft lenses, with the warmth of their defect. But I felt that this choice was going to shake me up, just for our film, more classic, cold and precise lenses, more scientific.

I also proposed to Anna some Lensbaby for Marguerite’s sometimes precise and obsessive look. We shot in cropped cinemascope, Marguerite’s journey as an adventure. The shooting went very fast, we had small natural sets and sometimes bigger ones like the amphitheaters, bigger than our shoulders. We could not control the exterior light, we had to manage. But our camera, the Alexa Mini LF, was perfect for that, ergonomic, versatile, handling highlights with elegance, all in an organic image.

We tried to bring emotion to mathematics and even sensuality in the image. Shooting in ArriRaw on colored nights with deep blacks allowed us to be more refined and flexible in post production. We shot the Marguerite “crazy” scene with kaleidoscopic filters and a different filtration, Black Promist, which creates aberrations to “break” the Cooke S4. At the end the institutional world of mathematics is now invaded by a shoulder camera and our aesthetic of the outside world. In the manner of Marguerite’s character, we had to reinvent ourselves, shake up our look, be a little less theoretical, cerebral and follow our intuition, our heart, to find the solution. 

“May December”

Category: Competition
Dir: Todd Haynes, DoP: Christopher Blauvet

Format: Alexa 35 open gate 4.6k 1.85 aspect ratio
Camera: Arri Alexa 35
Lenses: Kowa Cine Prominar

Aim: With todd’s reference material and image book we pulled together a lot of different lenses, cameras and filters to see what would work for our aesthetic. We shot in the camera house to get a broad idea and later into our locations to really see how these different recipe’s might work in our environments. So with as many details as we could give it to have the feel of the film (costumes, art department, hair and makeup), we would screen these tests in the theater to really scrutinize the looks and eventually found what we liked. This ended up being the Alexa 35 with the Kowa spherical glass and some filtration. 

“Monster”

Category: Competition
Dir: Kore-eda Hirokazu, DoP: Kondo Ryuto 

Format: X-OCN ST / Apple ProRes RAW
Camera: Sony CineAlta Venice RONIN 4D
Lenses: ARRI/Zeiss Master Anamorphic Canon FD (for RONIN 4D)

Aim: I selected the camera to capture the children’s performances to the best of their ability in the limited time and conditions. This camera’s small size of setting had the advantage of being able to be close to the children, who had little acting experience.

“Occupied City”

Category: Special Screening
Dir: Steve McQueen, DoP: Lennert Hillege

Format: 4 perf 35mm 1:33
Camera: Arricam ST
Lenses: Leica Summicron C-serie

Aim: We spent a long time filming on the lively streets of Amsterdam, capturing the city’s essence in all seasons. We relied on natural light to capture the authentic atmosphere that unfolded before us. Choosing to shoot on 35mm 4 perf film had its advantages: it preserved the simple beauty in high resolution and maintained a consistent aesthetic that reflected the genuine visuals we encountered. Moreover, the limitation of having 4.5-minute rolls helped us stay focused and attentive to the hidden details of everyday life. 

“Omen”

Category: Competition
Dir: Baloji, DoP: Joachim Philippe 

Format: ARRIRAW
Camera: Alexa Mini
Lenses: Canon FD TLS rehoused

Aim: I have been using Alexa Mini for six years now. I like the idea of using the same tool so I don’t have to think about it anymore. I could not really tell you what is better with Arri than with any other brand… I just don’t want to think to much about the technical aspect. If a camera works well and give me satisfaction, I don’t change. It gives me mind space to think about the rest of the process.

Regarding lenses, Canon FDs are siblings to the K35. I have a rehoused set by TLS as well as the same lenses in their tiny original photo housing. It allows me to go super small and self-focusing when I want to. Coming from the documentary world, I like to be quick and self-sufficiant when the situation requires that. 

“Only The River Flows”

Category: Un Certain Regard
Dir: Wei Shujun, DoP: Chengma

Format: 16mm 
Camera: Arriflex 416
Lenses: Arri Master Prime, Zeiss Super Speed 16mm

Aim: This film tells a story that happened in the 1990s. In the 1990s, there were no digital cameras. Everyone’s impression of the 1990s came from the images left on the film. What could be closer to the 1990s in everyone’s image memory than shooting with film? Today’s digital camera, especially the Arri Alexa series, has been very successful in simulating 35mm film, but 16mm film has not been imitated by digital cameras, so it has become a more stylish and personalized film representative, which is why I choose 16mm film.

“Perfect Days”

Category: Competition
Dir: Wim Wenders, DoP: Franz Lustig 

Format: 4K OCN ST
Camera: Sony Venice 2, Rialto 6K sensor, Aspect 1:1.33
Lenses: Canon K35 TLS rehoused 

Aim: “Perfect Days” is a film about humility and simplicity, therefore I wanted to keep everything super light and easy. We prepped this 2-hour film for five days and shot it in 17 days, so it had quite a documentary approach sometimes.

We had 2 camera bodies on standby but it was a one camera show. We had the normal camera body for handheld/Easyrig shots and one Rialto body for mounts and when we had a lack of space. We didn’t even carry a dolly, just some sliders occasionally. I had the most lovely local crew and we also kept the lighting to a minimum, all on house power and no big light sources. It was a beautiful, unique experience. Yoshi Yakusho’s acting was just so touching and special. 

In the grade we tried to emphasise the 4:3 aspect ratio and the filmic look with some grain and quite saturated colours. I think it looks real but also somehow from a different time. I’m quite proud of this “little” film we did together.

“Rein a Perdre”

Category: Un Certain Regard
Dir: Delphine Deloge, DoP: Guillaume Schiffman

Format: Arriraw 2.8K
Camera: Alexa Mini
Lenses: Leitz Summilux C

Aim: We wanted a light camera that could be always handheld and the Alexa Mini is very convenient for that. We shot a lot in a small apartment only lit at daylight from the exterior and with the practical lights when we shot at night – practicals that we took time to test, all rigged with special bulbs that we controlled on an iPad. 

For the lenses, I like the look of the Summilux. It is soft and smooth on  faces, and this a movie about people and faces. It also gives a cinematographic look, and I really wanted to break the reality for this social story. Even if “Rein a Perdre” is a story that takes place in a social environment, Delphine and I wanted to make a real tale about struggles with family and friendship.

“Riddle of Fire”

Category: Director’s Fortnight
Dir: Weston Razooli, DoP: Jake L. Mitchell  

Format: 16mm Film
Camera: Arri 416
Lenses: Canon 6.6-66mm Zoom, Arri 16 Ultra Primes

Aim: From the very beginning, director Weston Razooli described “Riddle of Fire” as a neo-fairytale, referencing many children’s books, fables, and even designs of old board games. This resonated with me, as references specifically from other mediums usually develop unique visual languages for film.

Taking these inspirations to heart, we focused on a dreamy, low contrast, high saturation image. Through testing, we found a rich 16mm negative film that renders incredibly dense and beautiful color. I was adamant to capture clean negatives and sharp grain with each shot, so everything was overexposed between 2/3 to 1 stop and we shot on the sharpest lenses possible at ideal apertures.

Additionally, I was very selective in what stocks we used, opting for the tightest grained films depending upon the scenario and time of day. This method on top of using a polarizer accomplished clean saturation on day exteriors, limited overexposed specular highlights on foliage and cut through environmental haze in the sky. 

We began shooting on Arri Ultra Primes, but found that for our tight schedule and limited time with our child actors, living on the Canon 6.6-66 zoom was more efficient. Luckily the Canon series of 16mm zooms are incredible and maintain sharpness even wide open.

Camera-wise, the Arri 416 is the pinnacle of design for 16mm shooting, it works like a dream and is a pleasure to operate. Through all these decisions, we tried to create a sense of child-like wonder and awe in the world we built. Weston wanted the viewer to yearn to join this world, stepping into and exploring it with their imagination.

“Terrestrial Verses”

Category: Un Certain Regard
Dir: Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami, DoP: Adib Sobhani 

Format: Arriraw 4k
Camera: Arri Alexa SXT plus AND
Lenses: Zeiss Master Prime 

Aim: The main reason why I shot with these tools was to shoot in 1:33 aspect ratio. We wanted to show the confinement of the characters in the frame and in the situation. The frame conveys the obligation that the characters have, under the pressure of the interviews.

The reason why I used master prime lens was its honesty; in other words, its high sharpness which helped us to show more details more realistically. Most of the scenes were shot with 25mm lens because we wanted the camera to be as close to the character as possible and master prime has the least distortion among the wide lenses. The natural color reproduction of the image processor delivers realistic skin tones.

“The Breaking Ice”

Category: Un Certain Regard
Dir: Anthony Chen, DoP: Yu Jing Pin 

Format: 4.5K ProRes444 (ARRIRAW for shots with VFX)
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini LF
Lenses: Cooke S7/i 40mm

Aim: The director and I aimed to create a sense of empathy towards the characters. The range of the human eye’s main visual area is around 55 degrees. We discussed and converted this to a full-frame camera, which is approximately the visual range provided by a 40mm lens. Although the human eye has a corresponding focal length of 17mm, a single eye can have an equivalent focal length view of 40mm. This also echoes the view of the main characters with blind spots and confusion. Therefore, we chose the Cooke S7/i 40mm lens to shoot the entire film.

Because we chose to shoot the entire film on just one lens, we conducted extensive equipment tests, including testing for snow movements, filming inside and outside of vehicles. Also, we had to choose the format carefully. We also decided on the 2:1 aspect ratio that I proposed. Using the traditional 1:2.39 aspect ratio felt too oppressive, while 1:1.85 would lose the intimacy.

Shooting the entire film in an area with a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius (-4 F), we had to use a camera with high mobility and stability. As for color scheme, we created a specific LUT closer to original Kodak Vision 5203 film stock to capture Yanji, the border city and the characters’ emotional states.

“The Buriti Flower”

Category: Un Certain Regard
Dir: Joao Salaviza and Renee Nader-Messora, DoP: Renee Nader-Messora

Format: S16mm
Camera: Aaton XTR Prod
Lenses: Zeiss S16mm Super Speed 1.3 

Aim: When we are in the Krahô Indigenous Land, in the heart of Brazil, in the Tocantins savannah, we understand that everything that surrounds us there has a different rhythm and another way of existing. Filming in negative has always seemed to us the only fair way to capture that reality. It’s a way of understanding time and respecting time.

A light camera, a set of reliable lenses, and the least amount of accessories and weight possible make it easier for me to make the difficult displacements and mainly focus on the essentials: the story, the people and the best way to build a narrative where the camera works as a “mediator of worlds”, a kind of shaman who, through her dance and her infinite network of connections, can shape with silver halides a fundamental and shared truth, a secret whispered between us and the Krahô people.

“The Delinquents”

Category: Competition
Dir: Rodrigo Moreno, DoP: Alejo Maglio 

Format: ArriRaw
Camera: Alexa Mini
Lenses: Cooke s4 

Aim: I begin by choosing the optics that will express the right mood of the image and for me the Cooke s4 has the all perfect elements to tell the story. The softness and the definition in the edges and for the vintage treatment of color that is subtle. All of those in combination with the texture, high dynamic range, and interpretation of the color made Arri cameras the best choice.

“The (Ex)perience of Love”

Category: Critic’s Week
Dir: Ann Sirot & Raphael Balboni, DoP: Jorge Piquer Rodriguez 

Format: ARRIRAW 4.5K LF 3:2 Open Gate / 2.39
Cameras: Arri Alexa Mini, 
Lenses: Leica-R by Cinescope. Mainly the 35mm. In addition of the 50mm and 85mm. And few shots with 24mm and 100mm Macro

Aim: I really like the color rendition of Leica lenses; they have plenty of character, are soft and sharp, and they have an amazing tridimensional rendition of reality allowing you to separate the charaters from the background very easily. This effect was also achived by shooting on the large sensor of the Mini LF. This was important as the film has several location where a charater was standing in front of a wall and it needed some separation. This lens has pleasant skintones, and a beatiful higlight roll off. This allowed me to push the saturation and go for a “Pop” look.

After storybording and location scouting, I knew I would shoot almost the whole film with a single lens, the 35mm. From many lens sets the 35mm Summilux is one of the best performers and after some tests it was the obvious choice for me. In the mix of Leica and Arri, I added some old diffusion filters as Low Contrast, Promist and Tiffen Diffusion, to add some texture and glow to the highlights.

Most of the film was shot handheld, shoulder, and easyrig. These lenses are lightweight and compact, and the 35mm allowed me to freely move around the set and follow the improvisation of charaters. Sirot and Balboni’s films are edited mainly with jump-cut technique and its very important for us to keep it light and free.

“The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed”

Category: Director’s Fortnight 
Dir: Joanna Arnow, DoP: Barton Cortright

Format: 5K REDCODE Raw
Camera: RED Gemini
Lenses: Zeiss Super Speeds, Angenieux 25-250 hr

Aim: Early on in the process there were conversations of shooting on film. However, due to the budget constraints and the speed at which we’d have to shoot, we ended up shooting digitally. Digital also gave us the ability to quickly do playback, which was essential since our director was in every scene of the movie. For me, the RED Gemini was a great option given our budget range due to its dual ISO capabilities and being fairly lightweight.

For me, when shooting digitally, I often find modern glass too sharp. For that reason, we went with Zeiss super speeds. Super speeds’ softness and slight imperfections help take the edge off higher resolution digital cameras. The quick apetures also help for wider shots where I could lean on practicals for exposure and not force too many lights into smaller locations.

“The Goldman Case”

Category: Opening Film, Director’s Fortnight 
Dir: Cedric Kahn, DoP: Patrick Ghiringhelli 

Format: 6K scope, framaline 1.33
Camera: Sony Venice
Lenses: Angenieux Optimo A2S 44-440mm T4.5

Aim: The film was made in two weeks. The director wanted to keep all the actors and extras on set everyday to keep the atmosphere more realistic. We chose the Venice for the dual iso, and an Angenieux 44-440 zoom lens in order to follow the actors at different distances without bothering the audiences. The majority of the set and imagery creation was to build a set (Guillome Deviercy was the chief decorator) on an old tennis court covered by a large glass ceiling in order to take advantage of the natural lighting. We compensated with a few spotlights (the gaffer was Guillaume Ader) while still letting the bulk of it all live. There were some (energetic!) days between the sun, the clouds and both together, but that’s how we played the game!

“The New Boy”

Category: Un Certain Regard 
Dir. & DoP: Warwick Thornton 

Camera: Panavision XL2
Lenses: Panavision Anamorphic C series and E series – 40mm, 60mm, 100mm, 200mm macro 

Aim: The film is set in the 1940s. These are vintage lenses that have their own strange characteristics. The halation and the refractions were embraced in the film and helped to create a strange quality to the image. The film is fable-like and slightly heightened in its style, so the look the lenses gave us was perfect for that feeling. I love these lenses; they’re old and crazy.

“The Old Oak”

Category: Competition
Dir: Ken Loach, DoP: Robbie Ryan  

Format: 35mm
Camera: Arricam ST
Lenses: Arri Master primes

Aim: Ken works with film; it’s his standard. I also love shooting on film. There’s a truth and honesty to shooting on film that’s hard to quantify or explain …which is why there’s a magic to it :)

“The Other Laurens”

Category: Director’s Fortnight 
Dir: Claude Schmitz, DoP: Florian Berutti 

Format: HD Cinema DNG Raw
Camera: IKONOSKOP D2
Lenses: Cooke 10-30 T1.6 and Lomo Super Speed

Aim: I started to work as a cinematographer because Claude Schmitz asked me to work on his first movie. We’ve work together since. Since the start we’ve shared the same obsession for textured images. We hate the clinical high definition image that all the productions used to have around 2010. So lwhen we had to choose a new camera for his next film we went with the IKONOSKOP D2. The camera has a 16mm CCD sensor and recorded HD DNG RAW internally. 

The camera being at 200 iso and the budget being very limited, I had to find a solution for the nights. So I adapted a Speedbooster for the orignal BMPCC to the IMS mount of the IKONOSKOP and add a PL mount in front. So the camera was transformed into a super35 camera at 640iso.

Claude’s most important influence for the movie was “The American Friend.” He wanted a contrasty and colorful image inspired by Rubby Müller – an American picture made by an European. On the first day of shooting, I realized that the camera had much less dynamic range than I thought and I started to panic. I had to light every shot a lot more that I’m used to, like we use to do on film back in the days. In the end, it gave us a unique look that you don’t see much in modern production.

“The Settlers”

Category: Un Certain Regard  
Dir: Felipe Galvez, DoP: Simone Darcangelo

Format: Sony X-OCN ST/XT 6K
Camera: Sony Venice
Lenses: Zeiss Contax LF 

Aim: The Sony Venice is my first choice in term of image quality. I’m very comfortable with its large format feature and dual iso that gives me huge information in the low exposure and high light with a minimum amount of noise. his camera combined with ACES gave me a huge freedom in DI, where thanks to the high color information I can achieve my vision.

“The Sweet East”

Category: Director’s Fortnight 
Dir. & DoP: Sean Price Williams 

Format: Super 16mm film
Camera: Aaton
Lenses: Vintage lenses, Zeiss MK1 primes, completely decalibrated Canon 8-64 zoom

Aim: I did my own focus off the barrel. I am very familiar with the Zeiss lenses as well as the Canon. I do not fetishize lenses. I felt it was important to use glass I was familiar with so I could pay more attention to the actions. 

“Une Nuit”

Title: “Une Nuit”
Category: Un Certain Regard 
Dir: Alex Lutz, DoP: Eponine Momenceau 

Format: ProRes 3.2K
Camera: Alexa Mini
Lenses: Sigma 

“Vincent Must Die”

Category: Critic’s Week 
Dir: Stéphan Castang, DoP: Manuel Dacosse 

Format: Arriraw 2.8K
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini
Lenses: Techno Cooke Anamorphic 

Aim: We really wanted a strong look with vintage lenses, so we shot all of the film with maybe two lenses, the 50mm and 75mm. 

“Ziao Bai Chuan”

Category: Director’s Fortnight 
Dir: Geng Zihan, DoP: Hao Jiayue 

Format: 4K Prores 4444
Camera: Arri Alexa Mini
Lenses: Cooke S4/i Prime lenses；Angenieux optimo zooms 

Aim: We choose to use two different lenses to show the different relationship of Liu Xian and Mingmei: the Cooke S4/i has a retro, warm and soft texture, which can create the right atmosphere when Ming Mei appears. Meanwhile, the Angenieux Optima zooms show a more calm picture temperament, and later in the film, we often used the zooms to describe Liu Xian’s state in the environment.