My Story
Employment
My first job on a film set? Still photographer. But then the focus puller had to leave suddenly. He showed me how to take apart the camera, clean it, load the mags, and how to measure for and set the focus ring, and then he was gone. Sink or swim, those were the options. That led me from focus pulling to camera operating, and on to director of photography. In the process, I established my own production company which delivered international co-productions.
Filmography
During my first 17 years in filmmaking, the productions I worked on won 107 awards and received 159 nominations, including Academy Awards and Cannes Film Festival awards. I had the privilege of observing and learning from some of the greats in filmmaking, such as Dante Spinotti, Vilmos Zsigmond, Michael Mann, Elia Suleiman, Hany Abu-Assad, Al Pacino, Antonio Banderas, Ellen Burstyn, and Ali Suleiman.
Within minutes of my first encounter with the camera, I knew this was where I wanted to spend the rest of my life. During those years, I learned how to read a script, visualise, and prepare to tell the story. This shaped what camera movement, lens, aperture, filters, and lights to use and to what effect—no detail was insignificant. My goal? To become a director of photography.
Director of Photography
Philosopher René Descartes once said, "Cognito, ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am). I believe, I feel, therefore I am. Pain, anger, despair, joy, love, inner peace: filmmaking at its best leads us to our innermost feelings. In the process, we are set free to imagine, using cinematography to convert these feelings into images to tell the story. As a cinematographer, I feel that the story must touch my innermost being if I’m going to have something to share with others.
