Valentina Caniglia on filming "Isola" with Vintage’74 Anamorphics
We asked award-winning director of photography Valentina Caniglia, ASC, CCS why Hawk Vintage’74 Anamorphics were the right choice for the feature film Isola.
“The story of Isola is told from two points of view, and that’s why we chose to use anamorphic. The horizontal aspect ratio allowed us to keep both lead characters in the same frame. The Vintage’74 lenses really helped me to capture two personalities together. And their softness and texture really helped me balance those traits within the frame. Without those lenses, it would be a completely different movie.”
A feeling “outside of time”
Caniglia, ASC, AIC and director Nora Jaenicke wanted to illustrate the dynamic between two characters. Fanny Ardant, the legend of French cinema and one-time muse of François Truffaut, plays Ada, and Joanna Kulig, acclaimed for the Polish films Cold War and Ida, plays Joanna. In the story, both women have positive and negative traits – there are no villains. Both are almost always present in the frame together. Jaenicke asked Caniglia for naturalistic imagery that felt “outside of time.”
“Our goal was to evoke the past without explicitly indicating a particular time period. That extended to the locations, sets and even the lighting and color temperatures. I was dealing with opposites. Fanny, who is 77 years old, knows how to land perfectly for the lighting and the camera. Joanna is always dancing, which really works for her character.”
Light to accommodate the lens
The two leads are almost always present in the frame together. Composition is elegant, precise and designed to express their underlying emotional dynamic. Extreme close-ups alternate with very wide shots to communicate their internal emotions. The film was shot with only four focal lengths – 28mm, 35mm, 65mm and 180mm. Ada’s character was usually shot wider, and Joanna’s tighter. Lighting, filtration and framing choices were made based on the lead of the lenses.
“I come from a film stock background in which we would light to accommodate the lens because we loved the look. That approach worked beautifully on Isola. I prioritized what the lens was giving me, and adapted everything to preserve that quality. I would not normally do that because I love lighting, but the Vintage’74s so defined the look of this film that I adjusted my thinking. The 65mm is especially amazing. We used it a lot.”
For the 31-day shoot, the Italian island of Elba stood in for Naples. REC Roma, the official representative for Hawk in Italy, provided the lenses and other equipment, including a Sony Venice 1/Rialto camera package. Nets made from stockings – an old-school technique – were sometimes placed behind the lens, usually in exterior situations, to slightly bloom the highlights and lend a subtle softness that helped control backgrounds. A key aspect of Caniglia’s approach to lighting interiors was the use of green and red transparent sheers and curtains to filter light and project tonality.
Conveying emotion
“When we saw the film on the big screen at the Torino Film Festival, I was very happy. I felt we were able to convey the emotion of the story into the images. I’m proud of what we did – and the lenses helped me so much.”
Valentina Caniglia, ASC, CCS
Valentina Caniglia, the first Italian woman to become a member of ASC, has earned accolades around the world, including at the Sundance, Los Angeles, Chelsea, Muscat, Doha Tribeca, Louisiana and London Film Festivals. She was recently the recipient of the ASC Vision Mentorship Award program.
Isola, known in English as Island, premiered at the Torino Film Festival and was featured at the Moscow Film Festival and the Cannes Film Market. Since then, Isola won Best Independent Dramatic Feature at ECU, the European Independent Film Festival in Paris.
The equipment for Isola was provided by R.E.C. Roma – Hawk Italy.
images: Valentina Caniglia
