Irish Film Institute -Eye to Eye: Visionary Partnerships in Cinematography and Direction

Eye to Eye: Visionary Partnerships in Cinematography and Direction

IFI Press Release: 26thJune 2013

Eye to Eye: The IFI presents a season celebrating visionary partnerships in Cinematography and Direction.

IFI’s Eye to Eye Season, running from July 2nd– 30th 2013 focuses on the collaborative nature of the cinematographer’s role by throwing a spotlight on some of the most artistic ground breaking partnerships between directors and cinematographers, ranging from Orson Welles and Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane) to Ingmar Bergman and Sven Nykvist (Cries and Whispers), from Stanley Kubrick and John Alcott (Barry Lyndon) to Michel Gondry and Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

Each of the films in this season represents a landmark both in terms of the partnerships in question as well as on cinematic terms. Seeing these staggering visual achievements on the big screen for this season means that this July at the IFI is truly a feast for the eyes.

The Eye to Eye Season, which offers diversity in terms of style, form, and technique, nevertheless highlights some key features which recur across all nine of the partnerships; a sense of innovation and an eagerness to experiment with new forms of technology; a desire to cater to as much as challenge each other’s tastes and a willingness to improvise on set or to adapt to difficult or unyielding environments.

In his famous book Notes to the Cinematographer, renowned French director Robert Bresson distinguished between two types of films; “those that employ the resources of the theatre and use the camera in order to reproduce, and those that employ the resources of cinematography and use the camera to create”. The films in this season are all examples of just how creative and influential visionary cinematography can be.

Accompanying the season there’s also a chance to see Visions of Light, a classic 1992 documentary that explores the art of cinematography.

Eye to Eye Season Schedule

For full details of all the screenings see

July 2nd18.30 Visions of Light – Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy, and Stuart Samuels (Directors)

July 3rd 18.30 Citizen Kane – Orson Wells (Director), Gregg Toland (Cinematographer)

July 6th 14.00 I Am Cuba – Mikhail Kalatozov (director), Sergey Urusevsky (Cinematographer)

July 7th 16.20 Cries and Whispers – Ingmar Bergman (Director), Sven Nykvist (Cinematographer)

July 10th 18.30 Manhattan – Woody Allen (Director), Gordon Willis (Cinematographer)

July 16th 18.30 Raging Bull – Martin Scorsese (Director), Michael Chapman (Cinematographer)

July 21st 13.00 Pather Panchali – Satyajit Ray (Director), Subatra Mitra (Cinematographer)

July 27th 14.20 In the Mood For Love Wong Kar-Wai, Christopher Doyle (Co-Cinematographer)

July 28th 13.00 Barry Lyndon Stanley Kubrick (Director), John Alcott (Cinematographer)

July 30th 18.30 The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Michel Gondry (Director), Ellen Kuras (Cinematography)

Tickets are available from the IFI Box Office on 01 679 3477 or online at www.ifi.ie.

For more media information on the Eye to Eye Season, to interview one of the programmers, or to requests high-res images please contact Patrick Stewart at the IFI Press Office on 01 679 5744 or email pstewart@irishfilm.ie

The IFI acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council.

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The IFI is supported
by The Arts Council

Arts Council of Ireland