A MAN WITH ACAMERA Nestor Almendros Translated from ihe Spanish by Rachel Phillips Belash FARRAR + STRAUS » GIROUX New YorkA Man wit 4 CAMERA hie aucience must be sursrised, Therefore, camera, he emerges from the darkess and ‘the zone of light, This effoct was easy to + 4KW soft light beside he camera. Since ach the back, and the ng gradually ou: of the shadows. iperation, when José Mara (Vietosa Abril) T alsc used the actual direct Wight of an cer body as the strong Inminous center of rns appeared silsouetted around the table. in the ceiling cf the operating room Billed as, creating an odd combination of color xt was purposely disagretable and clinical. tnother great Aragonese, Aranda is an inde- z person, Tt was exciting to work with im ripto a more anbitious oroject, Libertarias am sure will be important Days of Heaven ‘Terrence Malick—1976 Join Ford, Sing Vider and Josef von Sternberg were dirctors “shaw style was alwayrachieved with great inspira ion in lignting Stemberg, in particu, was the vival mmaker par excel ence camposiior, and everyone knews his interest in set desi lighting. His work hasalways teen an example to me, For Stern: berg light went hand in hand vith miseen-scéne indeed, it was fa fundamental part o! mise-enscéne. Lis not wbitrary that I refer to Stenberg, Vidor, anc Ford when Tmention Terrerce Malick, becauss Malick s also a drector luli puts great store by the look of his lms. When Harod Bait Schneider, the producers, asked m: to do Bays of Heae' T asked to see Badlonds, Mabck’s first film. Waen I sav it, T redized at once that he was the kind sf director with whom T ‘auld be alle to collaborate successfully, Later cn T learns Mulick had very much liked ry work in Phe Wid Child, which, although its in black and wht, has sametbing in commen with Diys of Hecoen, in that they ae both period film. Tt was because of The Wild Child that Malick wanted to work vith me. Days of leaven wis shot in Canada, and wher I got to Alberta L-ealized that Malick knew 1 lot about photography, which isPofessioncl Life 169 oddlyenough rither unusual for afilm direstor. He bas an excep- nal knowledge of paint 1 warted—which was perioe film—but encouraged me. It was therefore very excling to woik with hin, Dats of Heeven was not a rigidly prepared film, Many teresting ideas developed as we went along. This left roor improvisation and allowed us to tke advantage of ercumstarces. ‘The aall sheets, for example, which arc Xerox copiss specify the next day's vork, wer 1 1d, The schedule was eranged te the cieators of the simpleity and wena had become mech too sephi lms, there were a number of in 1¢ inveriors we used light that came ie windows a: in a Vermeer. There were also photcrepor books Malick tad a plent editirg, our images took on an almost musical rlythm, symphony, with andantes, maesiosos, staccatos, treno!