‘The New Boy’ Cinematographer-Director Warwick Thornton Scores Top Camerimage Prize for Mystical Tale
Will Tizard Contributor Cinematographer and director Warwick Thornton scored top honors Saturday at the Camerimage cinematography film festival for his magical tale of an aboriginal youth, “The New Boy,” which film jurors called a distinctive “portrait of an extinguished spirituality.” Thornton, in accepting the Golden Frog, said he had been so moved by the cinematography work onscreen at the fest, a top global event for directors of photography, he’d been “tearing for a week.” Ed Lachman, director of photography for Pablo Larrain’s horror fantasy “El Conde,” inspired by the life of Chilean tyrant Augusto Pinochet, won the Silver Frog for what the jury called “cinematic high poetry,” while the Bronze Frog and Audience Award went to cinematographer Robbie Ryan for his Gothic dream-like imagery in Emma Stone-starrer “Poor Things,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Actor Peter Dinklage, honored with a festival director’s prize, expressed his gratitude for the Frog statuette, noting actors are “nothing without our collaborators,” followed onstage by cinematographer Mandy Walker, who also served as main jury president, also honored for her work on films such as “Elvis” and “Mulan.” Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi, one of the founders of the European Film Academy, was also feted for lifetime achievement in directing, as was cinematographer Peter Biziou (“The Wall,” “The Truman Show”) in the closing gala, held in Camerimage’s cavernous Jordanki screening hall.