Darius Khondji

Darius Khondji is one of the most acclaimed and influential cinematographers working today. This exhibition explores Khondji’s work – especially his approach to light, color, space, and framing – and the larger question of the role of the cinematographer as a shaping agent in the overall style of a film. The influence of painting and color theory is the focus of room 2 while different approaches to still photography and to cinematic movement are the focus of room 3.

Darius Khondji Interview

Chiaroscuro

The Supper at Emmaus (Rembrandt, 1628, Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris)

Goethe, Delacroix, and Color

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (Eugène Delacroix, Église Saint-Sulpice, Paris, 1854-1861) [For Darius Khondji's discussion of this painting, refer to interview or Learn More]

Stanley Cortez and the Creative Influence of the Cinematographer

Stanley Cortez (1907-1997) was an influential American cinematographer, who, like Khondji, managed to develop a discernible personal style while working with highly distinctive auteurs like Charles Laughton (whose only completed feature The Night of the Hunter, 1955, is excerpted here).

Edward Steichen and Pictorialist Photography

The Flatiron (Edward Steichen, 1904, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY) [For Darius Khondji's discussion of Steichen, refer to interview or Learn More]

Framing and Aspect Ratios

Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012, Cinematographer Darius Khondji)

Forms of Camera Movement

Darius Khondji has for many years specialized in elegant, graceful, and human-scale camera movements, as you can see in this musically matched series of shots from The Immigrant (James Gray, 2013).