Pierre Angénieux Tribute to Agnès Godard

Born on May 28th 1951 in Dur-sur-Auron in the Cher department of France, Agnès Godard said that she “started with no contact within the film industry. Neither by friends nor family » and first headed towards journalism studies – a career she pursued for several years – before shifting towards cinema.

After studying cinema at the French university Censier in Paris, she went on to study at the IDHEC, one of the most prestigious of French film schools and graduated in 1980. She started as a camera assistant alongside the great master of image Henri Alekan – similarly to 2019 Angénieux recipient Bruno Delbonnel. Alekan turned out to have a great importance on her work throughout her career. Godard then assisted Robby Müller for the Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas and quickly became second camera operator followed by director of photography. Besides Wim Wenders, Godard also worked at the time with prestigious directors such as Peter Greenaway or Alain Resnais.

Her partnership with Claire Denis was awarded many times: Best Feminine Photography for U.S Go Home at Torino Festival (1994), Special Jury Prize at Image de Film de Chalon-sur-Saône for I can’t sleep (1994), César for the Best Photography for the internationally acclaimed Beau Travail (2001) and also the Chlotrodis Award of best photography for Friday Nights (2004).

She was behind the photography of many renown directors such as Agnès Varda, André Téchiné (Godard was a César nominee for Strayed),  Emmanuelle Crialese or Claude Berri, she was also the cinematographer for most of Catherine Corsini and Ursula Meier’s films (Godard won the ADF Cinematography Award for Home at the 2008 Mar Del Plata Festival de Mar del Plata and the 2009 Lumières Best Cinematography Award) as well as for other directors including Noémie Lvovsky, Emmanuelle Bercot, Brigitte Roüan, Carol Morley, Claudia Sainte-Luce, Teona Strugar Mitevska or Eva Ionesco. She also worked with Érick Zonca on The Dreamlife of Angels for which she received a César in 1999.

Ursula Meier’s Sister (2012) was the first time Agnès Godard decided to switch to digital cameras and worked on the additional lights, playing with consistency, driven by a desire to reinvent the image, ad infinitum. She now considers that they “have changed texture and color rendering, the poetic charge is different, as a result we have to re-invent images, tame this new technology which is constantly moving forward and enriching itself at a top speed “.

In October 2014, Godard had her first photo exhibition at the Galerie Cinéma Anne-Dominique Toussaint. My Favorite Dance featured a couple, played by Emmanuelle Bercot and Stéphane Bouquet, through shots with a texture almost as palpable as they are evanescent.

“I started to work shooting mostly with fixed focal. Then, little by little, I included Angénieux zoom lenses in my practices. The Optimos have taken up more and more space. I have just finished a film shot only with Angénieux Full Frame zooms. These lenses have imposed themselves without any hesitation. There is not a single shot where I have not been seduced and impressed by the luxury of their quality.” Agnès Godard

Angénieux is world-renowned for its camera lenses. Awarded four times in Hollywood by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and sciences in 1964, 1989 and 2009, and by the Society of Camera Operators in 2012, as well as in 2014 by the British Society of Cinematographers in London, Angénieux lenses are a benchmark for image professionals. They are used worldwide for cinema, TV dramas, music videos or commercials.
The history of the brand started in 1935, more than 80 years ago, with the creation of the Pierre Angénieux Company. Since 1993, Angénieux has become a Thales Group brand.

Cinema enthusiast and genius inventor, Pierre Angénieux laid the foundations of the modern zoom lenses and ensured the continued success of his company which experienced an incredible destiny. Pierre Angénieux was not only interested in cinema: he also turned to photography, television, optronics, medical. Angénieux lenses went all the way to the moon! Chosen by NASA in the 1960’s, they have participated to different missions of the prestigious American organization. They were aboard Apollo 11 and participated to the extraordinary success of the mission, that, 50 years ago, showed the images of man’s first step on the Moon.

Currently available, the book “Angénieux and Cinema: From Light to Image” retraces through 270 pages widely illustrated, the incredible adventure of the Angénieux brand up to its most current challenges. The book is also available in English. https://www.angenieux.com/

2020: La Ligne by Ursula Meier
with Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Stephane Blanchoud, India Hair

2018 : Golden Youth by Eva Ionesco
with Galatea Bellugi, Lukas Ionesco, Isabelle Huppert, Melvil Poupaud

2017 : Let the sunshine in by Claire Denis
with Juliette Binoche, Xavier Beauvois, Philippe Katerine

2015 : When the Day Had No Name by Teona Strugar Mitevska
with Leon Ristov, Hanis Bagashov, Dragan Mishevski

2014 : The Amazing Catfish by Claudia Sainte-Luce
with Ximena Ayala, Lisa Owen, Wendy Gillén

2014 : Les Ponts de Sarajevo short film “Silence Mujo” by Ursula Meier
(amongst the directors of 12 other films)

2013 : Paris Folies by Marc Fitoussi
with Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Michael Nyqvist

2013 : The Falling by Carol Morley
with Maxine Peake, Maisie Williams, Florence Pugh

2013 : Salvation Army by Abdellah Taïa
with Saïd Mrini, Karim Ait M’Hand, Amine Ennaji

2012 : Bastards by Claire Denis
with Vincent Lindon, Chiara Mastroianni, Julie Bataille

2012 : A Greek Type of Problem by Brigitte Roüan 
with Nicole Garcia, Éric Caravaca, Patrick Mille

2011 : Sister by Ursula Meier
with Léa Seydoux, Kacey Mottet Klein, Martin Compston

2010 : Lights out by Fabrice Gobert
with Ana Girardot, Jules Pelissier, Laurent Capelutto

2010 : The Long Falling by Martin Provost
with Yolande Moreau

2009 :Trésor by Claude Berri
with Mathilde Seigner, Alain Chabat

2008 : Leaving by Catherine Corsini
with Kristin Scott Thomas, Yvan Attal

2007: 35 shots of rhums by Claire Denis 
with Alex Descas, Mati Diop, Nicolas Dogue

2007: Home by Ursula Meier 
with Isabelle Huppert, Olivier Gourmet
➤ Prix Lumières de la meilleure photographie

2006 : Hunting and gathering by Claude Berri
with Audrey Tautou, Guillaume Canet

2005 : The Golden Door by Emmanuelle Crialese
with Charlotte Gainsbourg

2005 : Backstage by Emmanuelle Bercot
with Emmanuelle Seigner, Isild Le Besco

2004 : Wild Side by Sébastien Lifshitz
with Stéphanie Michelini, Yasmine Belmadi, Edouard Nikitine, Josiane Stoléru

2004 : The Intruder by Claire Denis 
with Bambou, Grégoire Colin, Béatrice Dalle

2003: Strayed de André Téchiné 
with Emmanuelle Béart, Gaspard Ulliel
➤ César for Best Photography

2002 : Friday Night by Claire Denis 
with Vincent Lindon, Valérie Lemercier
➤  Chlotrudis Award or Best Photography

2002 : Nearest to Heeaven by Tonie Marshal
with Catherine Deneuve, William Hurt, Patrice Chéreau

2001 : Trouble Every Day by Claire Denis
with Tricia Vessey, Béatrice Dalle, Alex Descas

2000 : La Répétition by Catherine Corsini
with Emmanuelle Béart, Pascale Bussières, Dani Levy

1999 : The New Eve by Catherine Corsini
With Avec Karin Viard, Pierre-Loup Rajot, Catherine Frot

1999 : Life doesn’t scare me by Noémie Lvovsky
With Magali Woch, Ingrid Molinier, Julie-Marie Parmentier

1999 : Beau travail by Claire Denis
With Denis Lavant, Michel Subor, Grégoire Colin
➤ César for Best Photography
➤ National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Photography
➤ Chlotrudis Award for Best Photography

1998 : The Dreamlife of Angels by Eric Zonca
With Élodie Bouchez, Natacha Régnier, Grégoire Colin
➤ César for Best Photography

1998 : Hinterland by Jacques Nolot
With Jacques Nolot, Henri Gardey, Henriette Sempe

1996 : Nenette and Boni by Claire Denis
With Alice Houri, Grégoire Colin, Jacques Nolot

1995 : Sida, paroles de famille by Paule Muxel et Bertrand de Solliers

1993 : Aids, a Story That Knows No End  by Paule Muxel et Bertrand de Solliers

1993 : I can’t sleep by Claire Denis
With Yekaterina Golubeva, Béatrice Dalle, Alex Descas
➤ Jury Special Prize at the 1994 Festival de l’Image de Film, Chalon-sur-Saône 1994

1992 : The Absence by Peter Handke
With Bruno Ganz, Jeanne Moreau, Alex Descas

1992 : La Robe à cerceau by Claire Denis
With Sophie Simon, Vincent Gallo, Sarina Chan

1992 : Histoires autour de la folie by Paule Muxel & Bertrand de Solliers

1991 : Jacquot of Nantes by Agnès Varda
With Avec Philippe Maron, Edouard Joubeaud, Laurent Mounier

Shorts

2015 : Voilà l’enchaînement by Claire Denis

1993 : The Screw by Didier Flamand 
With Jean Reno, Maite Nahyr
➤ Special Mention at the 1993 Festival de l’Image de Film, Chalon-sur-Saône

1991 : Keep It For Yourself by Claire Denis
With Sophie Simon, Sarina Chan, Michael James

TV

1998 : Little Girls by Noémie Lvovsky
With Magali Woch, Ingrid Molinier, Julie-Marie Parmentier

1996 : Youth Without God by Catherine Corsini
Avec Marc Barbé, Samuel Dupuy, Jacques Bataille

1994 : U.S. Go Home by Claire Denis 
With Alice Houri, Jessica Tharaud, Grégoire Colin
➤ Meilleure photographie féminine, festival de Turin 1994

1990 : Jacques Rivette, le veilleur by Claire Denis

1982 : Room 666 by Wim Wenders