Eduardo Serra
About
Biography
Filmography
Biography
Acclaimed international director of photography Eduardo Serra received his first Oscar nomination for his stunning and beautiful widescreen work on "The Wings of the Dove" (1997). The camerawork in the film captured the beauty and exotic look of Venice and the bustling streets and well-dressed interiors of Edwardian London. From the opening shots of the British subways through several nocturnal set pieces in Italy (including a gondola ride lit only by torches), the film was filled with beautiful and subtle images.
The Portuguese-born Serra received his training in France and began his career shooting Ariane Mnouchkine's historical drama "1789" (1974). He also provided the strong visual look of Jean-Jacques Annaud's Oscar-winning "Black and White in Color" (1976) and went on to work with several French directors, notably Patrice Leconte and Michel Blanc. Serra created breathtaking images of the Arctic landscape in "Map of the Human Heart" and utilized widescreen images in "Yvonne's Perfume/The Scent of Yvonne/Le Parfum d'Yvonne" (both 1993). The period piece, "Conjugal Duty/L'Amour conjugal" (1995), allowed the cinematographer to shoot numerous interiors by candlelight, invoking comparisons with John Alcott's painterly work on 1975's "Barry Lyndon." Serra brought an artist's eye to his work on "Jude" (1996), another period drama. Scenes involving the title character were shot in dull colors (reflecting his innate sadness) while those involving his female cousin Sue were filmed in bright sunlight. As their lives intertwined, the palette mixed to a muted beauty. With "What Dreams May Comes" (1998), Serra faced the challenge of creating the fantastic worlds of heaven and hell and more than rose to the challenge. His painterly creations of otherworldly realms ranked among his finest work to date.
Filmography
Cinematography (Feature Film)
Editing (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Life Events
1974
Early film credit as cinematographer, Ariane Mnouchkine's "1789"
1976
Shot Jean-Jacques Annaud's Oscar-winning "Black and White in Color"
1978
First collaboration with Patrice Leconte "Les Bronzes/Sun Tan"
1984
Reteamed with Leconte for "Les Specialistes"
1984
Served as cinematographer for Michel Blanc's "Marche a l'ombre"
1992
Shot Leconte's "The Hairdresser's Husband"
1993
Garnered international attention for "The Map of the Human Heart"
1994
Reteamed with Michel Blanc for "Dead Tired/Grosse Fatigue"
1996
Was director of photography for Michael Winterbottom's "Jude"
1997
Received Academy Award nomination for his cinematography for "The Wings of the Dove"
1998
Shot the amazing camerawork for "What Dreams May Comes"
2000
Was director of photography for Alain Berliner's English-language directorial debut, "Passion of Mind"
2000
Teamed with Patrice Leconte on "La Veuve de Saint Pierre/The Widow of St Pierre"; released theatrically in USA in 2001
2000
Served as cinematographer on M Night Shyamalan's feature "Unbreakable"
2003
Worked on the film "Girl with a Pearl Earring," received an Academy Award nomination for Achievement in cinematography
