Kasia Taras
Alchemy. About the Art of Cinematography
Cinema is a Miracle, Film is a Story
One of the films opening this year's jubilee edition of the International Festival of the Art of Cinematography PLUS CAMERIMAGE is Christopher Kenneally'sSide by Side, made in cooperation with the festival - at the first Bydgoszcz edition of this event, the film crew together with Keanu Reeves at the head, who this time presented himself as a documentary filmmaker, recorded a substantial number of interviews with filmmakers of various generations and professions (among others with Joel Schumacher, Michael Chapman, Andrzej Bartkowiak, Michael Ballhaus, Dick Pope, Vittorio Storaro, Chris Lebenzon, Anthony Dod Mantle, Jost Vacano i Phil Meheux) about coexistence, this so-called “side by side", of “film grain" and “pixels".

"Side by Side" film crew; Chris Cassidy, Justin Szlasa, Chris Kenneally, Keanu Reeves; phot. Stephan Ukas-Bradley
Apart from all my ... maybe not exaltation as it does not befit my age but my heated passion about what I do (may it last long!), I hardly ever call anything “extraordinary". The time has come to use it, though. Christoper Kenneally'sSide by Side (cinematography by Chris Cassidy, with Keanu Reeves as its spiritus movens) is an extraordinary film.
It is indeed extraordinary because in ninety minutes we get a good lesson, maybe not of the art of cinematography, but for sure of the history of the cinema. We can admire Lumiere brothers' cinematograph (it is really touching to see it because it still works) and the newest digital wonders which will not make anyone a cinematographer; the footage shot by the cutting-edge devices does not always turn out to be a film either. This lesson is not boring but fascinating. Fascinating, as creators are interviewed by a creator. The questions are asked by an actor (Keanu Reeves), that is by someone from the other side of the camera, while answers are given by those responsible for his image, for his ability to seduce the audience or for the character's story being interesting - directors, but mostly cinematographers. The questions are asked by a person who himself already experienced the difference between working with a film reel and digital cameras. And when does an actor feel more at ease? The answer to this question can be found in the film and the conclusion is rather unexpected - I recommend in particular the anecdote about Robert Downey Jr's dilemmas.

Keanu Reeves and David Lynch, still from "Side by Side"
Side by Side, focused around the question of the influence of digital technology on the future of the cinema (there is even a question asked whether the end of the “era of a film reel" means the end of the cinema), is an unusual film because its creators draw our attention to something that for us, theorists (both academics and films critics), often escapes our notice as we are so full of theory and proud of our interpretations that we forget a film is mostly technology. And advance influences the way in which a particular story is told, the narration is carried differently when there is a light, easy to move camera involved; editing is different when we use a computer than when it was done on an editing table. Different does not mean worse. New technologies, indeed, require rethinking a few issues connected with pre-production, production and post-production but that is just it. The most important fact, that a film is a story, does not change. Film means serve emotions, but mostly a story. Such statements sound most moving and convincing when uttered by such renowned artists as David Lynch, Joel Schumacher and Michael Ballhaus, or Martin Scorsese. They really know what they are talking about and it is worth focusing on what they say in order not to reinvent the wheel. David Lynch, asked about popularizing possibilities of recording moving images, retorts (this face, this calmness!) that we have been having paper and writing tools for so many years and still there are few brilliant writers... Michael Ballhaus says something that finishes all discussions about film grain and pixels: it is unimportant what you will use but whether you tell a story sincerely; means and tools should be picked according to what our story is about and what kind of world we describe. Then he smiles gently and treats us to a story about how he was offered DI (digital intermediate) while making Gangs of New York and how he refused, as a whole beautiful set design was built for him; the rest (splendid rest!) he could achieve with light and careful selection of filters and lenses. I have always adored his works (this magnificent The Age of Innocence), but after seeing Kenneally's documentary I am sure that some part of a cinematographer's character permeates his/her cinematography; in the case of Scorsese, Coppola and Fassbinder's associate these are extraordinary humility and calmness. All right - I fell in love with Michael Ballhaus but only via the screen.

Still from "Side by Side"
Those most experienced and always open to technological novelties filmmakers (Vittorio Storaro mentions the obligation of intellectual openness to progress, and it is difficult to forget Roger Deakins' results of working with a colourist on O Brother, Where Art Thou? directed by the Coen brothers) are not afraid of the end of the cinema and they do not anticipate anything like that, because they know that a man will always want to tell stories and will always have some to tell - the possibility to tell stories is older than the invention of the cinema. They are not horrified that today we do not have to go to the cinema to watch movies - a mobile phone can do. They are calm about the future of the cinema because they know that showing on a big screen “a naked face in the movement of emotions" can only be achieved in the cinema. This is what the magic of the cinema and its ritual are about - the ritual mentioned, surprisingly, by the authors of Matrix.

In Side by Side a lot of time has been devoted to this “magic" inseparable from a cinematographer's actions. At one point a cinematographer is even called “a magician". The extraordinary (magical) relation between a director and a cinematographer is also mentioned in the film, David Fincher and Danny Boyle reminisce their “DPs" in the warmest and most enthusiastic way - the former talks about Darius Khondji and what he achieved in Se7en, the latter is mesmerized by Anthony Dod Mantle's job in Festen and claims that he cannot imagine working with anyone else.


Seeing alchemists in cinematographers was connected with the fact they “saw" first. And so it is till today, no matter how many colleagues' (special effects experts, colourists, stereographers) work they have to coordinate. Technological advance does not equal with slipping out the matter and for cinematographers has always been and still is something natural. This is one of the challenges of this profession - continuous learning, as before they become alchemists and magicians, first they have to be artisans having their craftsmanship well in hands.

Keanu Reeves' interlocutors behave like modest craftsmen and yet they are great artists. Modesty is such a rare feature today.