“The White Devil” hit the red carpet at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) on Sunday. Legendary cinematographer and three-time Academy Award winner Robert Richardson received the Czech festival’s highest honor, the Crystal Globe Award for outstanding artistic contributions to world cinema, in its 80th year. The award was presented to him by none other than Hollywood legend Harvey Keitel.
Richardson, nicknamed “The White Devil” for his long white hair and relentless pursuit of cinematic perfection, arrived on the stage of the Great Hall of the Thermal Hotel in Karlovy Vary to rapturous applause.
“I’m not an actor,” the cinematographer began. Then he praised the love for the art of cinema that he experienced in the city. “I look at the streets here, and I see a lot of people and a lot of people here inside this hall, and there are a lot of young people. I think this particular award represents a unique future, the future that we all need and want. I love that this festival opens up the opportunity to see films that we rarely see, and to hold films as they are.” [an] art [form]”.
He shared this vision of a future where more small films can travel the world, including from places like the Czech Republic: “What I hope one day in the future is that more countries can be reached through streaming or something else at no cost so everyone can see what we can’t see and see all the work that many of you will.”
Richardson also paid tribute to KVIFF and Keitel: “This is a very special gift… coming from a very special man, Harvey Keitel, who is, in my opinion, one of the greats in the history of cinema.”
The cinematographer then shared an anecdote: “When I first saw I mean the streetseveryone was talking about Bob De Niro’s performance being a must-see, and the movie ended, and I said, “Awesome!” … Time goes by, and I’m talking about the movie, and the person I thought was Bob De Niro was Harvey Keitel. “His performance was very commanding.”
While some in the audience burst into laughter, Richardson emphasized: “That’s not to say anything about Bob’s performance – he’s great, and he’s also a good friend.” Keitel sneered: “Are you trying to kill me?!”
The actor had introduced Richardson after a distinguished presentation of his work. “I take a piece of paper and write something on it,” Keitel said after the reel ended. “But seeing Bob’s work speaks for itself. We have one of the greatest cinematographers in the world before us. So, that’s all I have to say.” Then he tore the paper and threw away the pieces.
Richardson received the KVIFF Award at the world premiere of Czech director Jana Hojdova’s film Robert Richardson: The White Devila feature-length documentary dedicated to the life and career of the cinema icon. The entire crew joined the honoree on stage, where director Hojdova gave him a bracelet. “I have a tradition — every time I start a movie, I put on one bracelet, and I wear it throughout the movie. … When that bracelet goes away, it means the movie is dead,” Richardson explained.
Later on Sunday, Karlovy Vary’s cinematographer will sit down with him THRScott Feinberg to record an episode of the Awards Chatter podcast.
When KVIFF revealed that Richardson would receive the honor, it emphasized that he is “one of the most respected cinematographers of the last four decades and one of the few people alive to have won the Best Cinematography Oscar three times,” specifically for Best Cinematography. JFK, The pilot and HugoHighlights of KVIFF. “Richardson’s work has helped bring a distinct atmosphere to films starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Foxx and Margot Robbie.”
Richardson is part of a star-studded lineup of honorees and guests at KVIFF’s double anniversary edition. Other big names already honored this weekend are Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Jesse Eisenberg.
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