Darius Khondji
Darius Khondji, A.S.C. (Persian: داریوش خنجی; born 21 October 1955) is an Iranian-French cinematographer.[1] He is best known for his work on David Fincher's Seven (1995). Khondji has worked with a number of high-profile directors, including Fincher, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Wong Kar-wai, Michael Haneke, and Danny Boyle.
Darius Khondji داریوش خنجی | |
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Khondji in 2017. | |
Born | |
Nationality | Iranian-French |
Alma mater | New York University |
Occupation | Cinematographer |
Years active | 1984–present |
Title | ASC AFC ACS |
Early life
Khondji was born in Tehran, Iran, to an Iranian father and a French mother. At an early age, his family relocated in France. He became interested in film early on and made Super-8 films in his teens.[2] Later in life, he moved to the United States to study at UCLA and then majored in film from New York University and the International Center for Photography. During this period two teachers influenced his decision to become a cinematographer: Jonas Mekas and Haig Manoogian (Martin Scorsese's film teacher).[2] He realized that "all I wanted to do was shoot the other students' films. I was concerned with the power of the image and much less with story."[3]
Career
After his time in the United States, Khondji returned to France in 1981 and worked as an assistant for cinematographers like Bruno Nuytten, Martin Schafer and Pascal Marti. He also worked as a lighting director on music videos and commercials.[2]
His second feature film was Le tresor des Iles Chiennes (1991), a low budget, black and white, post-atomic adventure film. His work on this movie was significant enough to warrant the Cahiers du cinéma to publish one of its rare interviews with a cinematographer. It was on this film that he demonstrated an affinity for Cinemascope. He remarked in an interview, "I think it's the most beautiful format to frame. One can become absorbed in the faces when they're framed in 'Scope."[3] His subsequent work on Delicatessen established his international reputation and earned him a Cesar nomination for Best Cinematography. One of his highest profile films was Seven which he got based on a Nike ad he shot with David Fincher and his work on Delicatessen. His work on Evita was nominated for an Oscar for the Best Cinematography.
Darius worked on three European-shot films by Woody Allen: Midnight in Paris (2011),[4] To Rome with Love (2012)[5] and Magic in the Moonlight (2014).[6]
In 2012, Khondji shot the Palme D'or-winning film Amour, which also won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for Best Picture.[7]
Creative inspiration
Khondji cites Gregg Toland as his favorite cinematographer. "I particularly admire his work on John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath."[3] He also greatly admires James Wong Howe's work, in particular Hud. Khondji has said that his dream project would be "a 16mm black and white film of On the Road!"[3]
Personal life
Khondji is married to Marianne Chemetov, a daughter of the French architect Paul Chemetov and has three children: Marie-Louise, Josephine, and Alexandre.[1]
Filmography
Khondj's work includes:[8]
- Shorts and music videos
- Anima (directed by Paul Thomas Anderson), 2019
- "Marcy Me" (Jay Z music video), 2017
- Illusions & Mirrors (directed by Shirin Neshat), 2013
- Castello Cavalcanti (directed by Wes Anderson), 2013
- "Marry the Night" (Lady Gaga music video), late 2011
- "Afrika Shox" (Leftfield music video), 1999
- "Frozen" (Madonna music video), 1998
- "Fever" (Madonna music video), 1993
- Le trou de la corneille, 1991
- Models: The Film, 1991
- Television
- Too Old to Die Young (directed by Nicolas Winding Refn), 2019
Exhibitions
- 2010: Discovery award laureate and exhibition at Les Rencontres d'Arles festival, France.
References
- "Darius Khondji". IMDb. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- Sciolino, Elaine (2012-07-13). "The Cinematography of Darius Khondji". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- Darke, Chris (April 1996). "Inside the Light". Sight and Sound.
- "Contender – Director of Photography Darius Khondji, Midnight in Paris - Below the Line". Below the Line. 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- "Cinematographer Darius Khondji on Woody Allen's To Rome with Love - Studio Daily". www.studiodaily.com. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- "Cinematographer Darius Khondji, AFC, ASC, discusses his work on "Magic in the Moonlight", a film by Woody Allen". www.afcinema.com (in French). Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- "Darius Khondji AFC / Amour - British Cinematographer". British Cinematographer. 2015-05-22. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- Alex Ballinger (12 October 2004). New Cinematographers. Laurence King Publishing. pp. 2–. ISBN 978-1-85669-334-9.
External links
- Darius Khondji on IMDb
- An interview with Darius Khondji