At the upcoming edition of Plus Camerimage Festival in Bydgoszcz (24.11 - 1.12.2012) the organizers will once again honour the achievement of one of the greatest cinematographers. This year the Lifetime Achievement Award will go to a Russian director of photography Vadim Ivanovich Yusov, who is known for such films as Andriei Rublev, Solaris or Ivan's Childhood among many other titles. Yusov will attend the 20th edition of the Festival and some of his films will be presented to our audience.



Wadim Jusow

Vadim Ivanovich Yusov was born on the 20th of April 1929 in Klavdino in Leningrad province of the Soviet Union (now Russia). He studied at VGIK (All-Russian State University of Cinematography), the prestigious Russian film school, which he graduated from in 1954. Shortly after, he got a job as an assistant cinematographer in Mosfilm, the biggest Russian film studio where soon he became a director of photography. During his career he has been working with directors: Andrey Tarkovskiy, Georgi Daneliya, Sergey Bondarchuk or Ivan Dykhovichnyy, among others.

As a cinematographer, Yusov distinguishes himself with a visual, almost academic erudition and a special precision in image composition, carefully planned choice of lighting and lenses and camera work. He is also an inventor of many of the innovative technical solutions that make it possible to operate a camera in exceptional ways. This can be well observed especially in Tarkovskiy's Ivan's Childhood, Andriei Rublev and Solaris.



Solaris


Ivan's Childhood

Vadim Yusov is a true master of black and white photography and of getting all the nuances of these two colours. He feels highly comfortable creating images for films of a more intimate character - collaboration with Tarkovskiy; as well as for large-scale epic productions - collaboration with Bondarchuk. In both cases he focuses mostly on the characters' faces. His skill in doing so makes the films he worked on an excellent example of what can be called a real art of film. Yusov is also known for his masterly ability to create a specific mood or atmosphere. In Walking the Streets of Moscow through images created by Yusov the capital of Russia gained a new unexpected vividness and the film itself acquired a unique atmosphere.



Andriei Rublev

Vadim Yusov has often been awarded for his work in Russia and abroad. Among dozens of awards that he received there are All-Russian Film Festival Award for cinematography on Walking the Streets of Moscow (1963) dir. Georgi Daneliya, Golden Osella at Venice Film Festival in 1988 for cinematography on The Black Monk, two Nikas from Russian Film Academy (Passport (1991) dir. Georgi Daneliya, Moscow Parade (1992) dir. Ivan Dykhovichnyy), and several honorary awards: the title of the National Artist of Russia (1979), the special award of the President of Russia for immense contribution to the development of Russian cinema (2002), Nika for the contribution to the film science, criticism and education (2004), The White Square of the Russian Guild of Cinematographers for contribution to the art of cinematography (2006) and many other awards.


Vadim Yusov on the set

Vadim Yusov also dedicates a lot of his time and energy to teaching. Since 1971 he has been a lecturer on his alma mater - VGIK, and since 1982 he has been a Chairman of the Art of Cinematography Department of this school. Among his former students there are Sergei Machilsky, Yury Nevskiy or Vladislav Opelyants and also many other members of the Russian Guild of Cinematographers.


SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY:

• The Steamroller and the Violin (Katok i skripka); 1960; dir. Andrey Tarkovskiy
• Ivan's Childhood (Ivanovo detstvo); 1962; dir. Andrey Tarkovskiy
• Walking the Streets of Moscow (Ya shagayu po Moskve); 1964; dir. Georgi Daneliya
• Andriei Rublev (Andrey Rublyov); 1966; dir. Andrey Tarkovskiy
• Solaris (Solyaris); 1972; dir. Andrey Tarkovskiy
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Sovsem propashchij); 1972; dir. Georgi Daneliya
• They Fought for Their Country (Oni srazhalis za rodinu); 1975; dir. Sergey Bondarchuk
• Red Bells Part I - Mexico on Fire (Krasnye kolokola, film pervyj - Meksika v ogne); 1982; dir. Sergey Bondarchuk
• Red Bells Part II - I Saw the Birth of the New World (Krasnye kolokola, film vtoroy - Ya videl rozhdenie novogo mira); 1983; dir. Sergey Bondarchuk
• Boris Godunov; 1986; dir. Sergey Bondarchuk
• The Black Monk (Chyornyj monakh); 1988; dir. Ivan Dykhovichnyy
• Passport (Pasport); 1990; dir. Georgi Daneliya
• Moscow Parade (Prorva); 1992; dir. Ivan Dykhovichnyy
• Anna: From Six Till Eighteen (Anna: Ot shesti do vosemnadtsati) 1994; dir. Nikita Mikhalkov
• Out of the Present; 1995; dir. Andrei Ujică
• The Kopeck (Kopeyka); 2002; dir. Ivan Dykhovichnyy
• Orange Juice (Apelsinovyj sok); 2012; dir. Andrei Proshkin