Darius Khondji
Iranian-French cinematographer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Darius Khondji AFC, ASC (Persian: داریوش خنجی; born 21 October 1955) is an Iranian-French cinematographer.[1][2] He is known for his work with directors such as Jean-Pierre Jeunet, David Fincher, Alan Parker, Michael Haneke, Woody Allen, James Gray, Bong Joon-ho, Wong Kar-Wai, and the Safdie brothers. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards and three César Awards.
Darius Khondji | |
|---|---|
داریوش خنجی | |
Khondji in 2017 | |
| Born | 21 October 1955 |
| Alma mater | UCLA New York University International Center for Photography |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse | Marianne Chemetov |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Paul Chemetov (father-in-law) |
| Awards | See below |
Early life and education
Khondji was born in Tehran, Iran, to an Iranian father and a French mother. At an early age, his family moved to France. He became interested in film early on and made Super-8 films in his teens.[3] Later, he moved to the United States to study at UCLA and then majored in film at New York University and the International Center of Photography. Two teachers influenced his decision to become a cinematographer: Jonas Mekas and Haig P. Manoogian (Martin Scorsese's film teacher).[3] He realized that "all I wanted to do was shoot the other students' films. I was concerned with the power of the image and much less with story."[4]
Career
After his time in the United States, Khondji returned to France in 1981 and worked as an assistant for cinematographers like Bruno Nuytten, Martin Schafer and Pascal Marti. He also worked as a lighting director on music videos and commercials.[3]
His second feature film was Le tresor des Iles Chiennes (1991), a low-budget, black-and-white, post-atomic adventure film. His work on this movie led the Cahiers du cinéma to publish a rare interview with a cinematographer. It was on this film that he demonstrated an affinity for Cinemascope. He remarked in an interview, "I think it's the most beautiful format to frame. One can become absorbed in the faces when they're framed in 'Scope."[4] His subsequent work on Delicatessen established his international reputation and earned him a Cesar nomination for Best Cinematography. One of his highest profile films was Seven which he got based on a Nike ad he shot with David Fincher and his work on Delicatessen. His work on Evita was nominated for an Oscar for the Best Cinematography.
Darius worked on three European-shot films by Woody Allen: Midnight in Paris (2011),[5] To Rome with Love (2012)[6] and Magic in the Moonlight (2014).[7]
In 2012, Khondji shot the Palme d'Or-winning film Amour, which also won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for Best Picture.[8]
Influences
Khondji cites Gregg Toland as his favorite cinematographer. "I particularly admire his work on John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath."[4] He also greatly admires James Wong Howe's work, in particular Hud. Khondji has said that his dream project would be "a 16mm black and white film of On the Road!"[4]
Personal life
Khondji is married to Marianne Chemetov, a daughter of the French architect Paul Chemetov, and has three children.
Filmography
Short films
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Illusions & Mirrors | Shirin Neshat | |
| Castello Cavalcanti | Wes Anderson | ||
Feature films
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Too Old to Die Young | Nicolas Winding Refn | Miniseries; 7 episodes |
| 2020 | Strasbourg 1518 | Jonathan Glazer | TV short |
| 2021 | Lisey's Story | Pablo Larraín | Miniseries; 8 episodes |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Fever" | Madonna | Stéphane Sednaoui |
| 1996 | "You Must Love Me" | Alan Parker | |
| "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" | |||
| 1998 | "Frozen" | Chris Cunningham | |
| 1999 | "Afrika Shox" | Leftfield | |
| 2000 | "Dirge" | Death in Vegas | Richard Fearless Richard Fenwick |
| 2001 | "Boiler" | Limp Bizkit | Fred Durst Dave Meyers |
| 2008 | "Miles Away" | Madonna | Nathan Rissman |
| 2010 | Sticky & Sweet Tour | Nathan Rissman Steven Klein Tom Munro Nick Wickham | |
| 2011 | "Marry the Night" | Lady Gaga | |
| 2014 | "Everything" | Neneh Cherry | Jean-Baptiste Mondino |
| 2017 | "Look What You Made Me Do" | Taylor Swift | Joseph Kahn |
| 2018 | "The Icon Project" | Eminem | Marissa Velez |
| 2019 | "Marcy Me" | Jay-Z | Safdie brothers |
Exhibitions
- 2010: Discovery award laureate and exhibition at Les Rencontres d'Arles festival, France.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Evita | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2022 | Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths | Nominated | |
| 2025 | Marty Supreme | Nominated |
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Evita | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2025 | Marty Supreme | Nominated |
American Society of Cinematographers Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Seven | Outstanding Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1996 | Evita | Nominated | |
| 2013 | The Immigrant | Spotlight Award | Nominated |
| 2025 | Marty Supreme | Outstanding Cinematography | Nominated |
British Society of Cinematographers Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Seven | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1996 | Evita | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Midnight in Paris | Nominated | |
| 2025 | Marty Supreme | Nominated |
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Delicatessen | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1995 | The City of Lost Children | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Amour | Nominated |
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Seven | Best Cinematography | Won |
| 1996 | Evita | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths | Nominated |
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Midnight in Paris | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2013 | The Immigrant | Nominated |
Other accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Cinematography | Se7en | Nominated |
| 1996 | Globo d'oro | Best Cinematography | Stealing Beauty | Won |
| Camerimage | Golden Frog | Nominated | ||
| David di Donatello | Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | European Film Awards | Best Cinematographer | Amour | Nominated |
| 2013 | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Cinematographer | The Immigrant | Won |
| National Society of Film Critics | Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Lumière Awards | Best Cinematography | Magic in the Moonlight | Nominated |
| 2016 | San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Cinematography | The Lost City of Z | Nominated |
| London Film Critics' Circle | Technical Achievement of the Year | Nominated | ||