Cinematographer Santosh Sivan Becomes First Asian To Receive Pierre Angénieux Tribute At Cannes

The 77th Cannes Film Festival is underway in France, celebrating and honouring movies from across the world. During the film festival, Indian cinematographer Santosh Sivan was recognised with the prestigious Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography honour at Cannes. On Wednesday, a conference was held at Bharat Pavillion where Sivan's achievement was celebrated.

Santosh Sivan becomes the first Asian recipient of the Angénieux award

Santosh Sivan is known for serving as a cinematographer in movies such as Nidhiyude Katha, Perumthachan, Roja, Barsaat, Halo, Asoka and Mumbaikar. His contribution to Indian cinema made him earn Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens at Cannes. This accolade marks a significant moment for Sivan as he becomes the first Asian to receive this honour.

The official Instagram page of NDFC shared the photos from the event and wrote, "Santosh Sivan has earned the well-deserved recognition at Cannes 2024. The renowned Indian DOP (Santosh Sivan) is this year’s recipient of the annual Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography award, at Cannes Film Festival 2024. He is the first Asian recipient of the Angénieux award."

This award means a lot to me: Santosh Sivan

After winning the prestigious award, Sivan expressed his happiness and reflected on his journey. He recalled his early use of Angénieux lenses in the film Raakh (1989), starring Aamir Khan. Since then, he has consistently utilised these lenses, integrating them into his visual style. "This award means a lot to me as previous recipients include DoPs I admire, including Zsigmond and Deakins," Sivan said in a conversation with Variety.

His career spans decades, featuring more than 55 feature films and numerous documentaries. His notable works include collaborations with renowned director Mani Ratnam on films such as Roja, Thalapathi, Dil Se, and Iruvar. His cinematic artistry extends to international projects like Bride and Prejudice by Gurinder Chadha and Meenaxi for M.F. Hussain.

When was the Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography award introduced?

In 2013, the Cannes Film Festival introduced the Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography award. It was named after the pioneer of modern zoom lenses. The award has since been conferred upon legendary cinematographers such as Edward Lachman, Agnès Godard, Barry Ackroyd, and Roger Deakins.