Santosh Sivan Sivan is the first Asian to receive the prestigious Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography honour at the Cannes Film Festival, which celebrates outstanding contributions to the field of cinematography.
IMAGE: Santosh Sivan explains his craft at the Bharat Pavilion at Cannes. Photograph: PIB India/X
Renowned Indian cinematographer Santosh Sivan is to be recognised with the prestigious Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography honour at the Cannes Film Festival 2024.
This accolade marks a significant moment for Sivan as he is the first Asian to receive this honour, which celebrates outstanding contributions to the field of cinematography.
Preceded by a welcome dinner on May 23, the recognition will culminate in an honorary event on May 24.
IMAGE: Aditi Roy Hydari interviews Santosh Sivan at Cannes. Photograph: PIB India/X
On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, a conference was held at the Bharat Pavilion to celebrate Sivan’s achievement.
Santosh Sivan’s illustrious career spans more than 55 feature films and numerous documentaries.
His notable works include collaborations with Director Mani Ratnam on films such as Roja, Thalapathi, Dil Se and Iruvar.
Sivan’s cinematic artistry extends to international projects like Gurinder Chadha’s Bride and Prejudice and M F Husain’s Meenaxi.
IMAGE: A scene from Asoka, which Santosh Sivan directed and photographed.
In 2013, the Cannes Film Festival introduced the Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography award, named after the pioneer of modern zoom lenses.
The award has since been conferred upon legendary cinematographers Edward Lachman, Agnès Godard, Barry Ackroyd and Roger Deakins.
Sivan joins this distinguished group, highlighting his exceptional contributions to the art of visual storytelling.
IMAGE: The Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan song from Dil Se.., which Santosh Sivan shot on the top of a train.
In a conversation with Variety, the American film trade magazine, Sivan reflected on his journey and recalled his early use of Angénieux lenses in the film Raakh (1989), starring Aamir Khan.
Since then, he has consistently utilised these lenses, integrating them into his visual style. ‘This award means a lot to me as previous recipients include DoPs I admire, including Vilmos) Zsigmond and Deakins,’ Sivan said in a conversation with Variety.
Sivan’s work is deeply rooted in the visual culture of Kerala, his home state.
He eloquently described his artistic philosophy, saying, ‘ and composition and movement of the camera is the rhythm. If I find that these two things are there in a shot, then I’m most excited, I like that.’
Sivan also talked about his transition from celluloid to digital cinematography.
His film Urumi (2011), which he directed, marked the beginning of this shift, with Thuppakki (2012) being his first film shot entirely on digital.
The celebration at Cannes 2024 is not only a testament to Sivan’s technical prowess but also to his ability to evoke powerful emotions through his visual storytelling.
