About the Exhibition

The pioneering work of Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki (b. 1964) is characterized by continuous takes, fluid camera movements, and a masterful use of light. His poetic and technologically innovative approach to cinematic naturalism has made him a highly regarded collaborator of directors Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Terrence Malick, with whom he has pushed the art of visual storytelling to record-breaking acclaim. Lubezki is the first artist to win the Academy Award for Cinematography three years in a row, for Gravity (USA, 2013), Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (USA, 2014), and The Revenant (USA, 2015).

Significant Movies and Moviemakers: Emmanuel Lubezki explored the cinematographer’s creative and technical innovations through a moving image installation, from the soft lighting rigs in Sleepy Hollow (USA, 1999), to the LED light box in Gravity, to his VR project with Iñárritu's CARNE y ARENA (2017). A prolific still photographer, Lubezki often documents his own experiences and encounters while working on set, and the gallery featured many of his on-set photographs, including those from The Revenant.

The first iteration of the Significant Movies and Moviemakers gallery featured a six-gallery experience showcasing Citizen Kane (USA, 1941), Bruce Lee, Oscar Micheaux, Thelma Schoonmaker, Emmanuel Lubezki, and Real Women Have Curves (USA, 2002).