The Most Magical Place on Earth

For someone passionate about the technical side of filmmaking and television, buried among cameras, lenses and issues of American Cinematographer, the most magical place on earth – once the nickname for Magic Kingdom before it became Walt Disney World Resort– is not in sunny Orange County, California, nor crowned by a fairy-tale castle. It is in the chilly yet charming Polish city of Toruń, and its name is EnergaCAMERIMAGE. Experiencing its 32nd edition firsthand has been nothing short of an impossible dream come true.

Accustomed to the constant celebration of prestigious actors and directors, whose names are widely recognised – even by those unfamiliar with the seventh art – and who grace magazine covers and online headlines, the existence of a film festival entirely dedicated to honouring the craft of cinematographers verges on the miraculous. These professionals, relegated to the background by their placement in the end credits of films – which are as much theirs as anyone else’s – are finally given their due.

This wonderful anomaly goes beyond the festival’s central concept. It becomes very real when you sit for the first time in the Jordanki theatre and feel the audience’s devotion. At CAMERIMAGE, people cheer for the Kodak ad that plays before screenings as a declaration of love for photochemical film. They wait for the cinematographer’s name to appear on screen to applaud after the film ends, and they repeat the ovation when the camera and lighting crews get their brief moment in the spotlight before the house lights come back on. It is as unusual as it is moving.

But CAMERIMAGE is much more than this. It is a festival where the official selection showcases a diverse range of productions: from major blockbusters like Dune: Part II, shot by a masterful Greig Fraser, who once again performs wonders with the “digital to film to digital” process, to touching indie sports dramas like The Fire Inside, in which Rina Yang cements her status as one of today’s great DoPs after her outstanding work on Euphoria and in the world of music videos; and it includes exercises in fascinating creative freedom like Emilia Pérez, narrative ticking time bombs like the ecclesiastical thriller Conclave, and examples of the best contemporary horror like The Devil’s Bathroom, our award-winning film.

Leaving the warm darkness of the screening room and stepping into the halls of the Toruń Cultural and Congress Centre does not immediately take you back to reality. The magic lingers, especially when you enter the CAMERIMAGE Market around the corner, where you can witness firsthand the latest technological advances in the industry. From the precise colour rendering of Aputure’s Storm C series, topped by the tiny yet powerful 80C, to the unmistakable quality of lenses from industry giants such as Zeiss, Leitz, and Cooke (their Macro/i FF optics are exquisite), to the latest updates for Sony’s Cinema Line cameras, further enhancing the already remarkable FX series powerhouses and, of course, the VENICE 2. It is a treasure trove of treats, crowned by Panavision’s small museum, which showcased decades of cinematic history through some of its most legendary creations.

Close your eyes and imagine a film festival where you almost accidentally end up sharing a table with Jarin Blaschke – Robert Eggers’ go-to DoP, whose Nosferatu is about to premiere – and sprinkle your dinner with a conversation about Petzval lenses. Or where you share a coffee with Anthony Dod Mantle, a DP who has collaborated extensively with Danny Boyle and Lars von Trier, and discuss the evolution of digital sensors, from the Canon XL1 used to shoot parts of 28 Days Later to the latest-generation iPhones. This, and so much more, is that earthly paradise called EnergaCAMERIMAGE.

Because only in the most magical place on earth do you find yourself onstage singing Las Mañanitas to Rodrigo Prieto alongside three mariachis to celebrate his 59th birthday.

Víctor López G.
Edited by Birgit Beumers
© FIPRESCI 2024