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James Chressanthis, ASC, talks about his travels on the indie film festival circuit – from Cannes to Buenos Aires and everywhere in-between<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/address>\n\u201cRecognition for cinematographers, in general, is long overdue. When it comes to Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond it\u2019s clear that the American new wave of the late 1960s and early \u201870s wouldn\u2019t have flowered as it did without them.\u201d\u00a0 Leonard Maltin<\/address>\n No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo and Vilmos<\/em>, is a feature documentary conceived, produced and directed by James Chressanthis, ASC, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2008, and it has subsequently visited 22 other festivals, on four continents, since; and not without its share of fanfare. \u201c(In all my travels) No one has ever asked me who Vilmos and Laszlo are,\u201d Chressanthis observes. \u201cThey have become legends in their own time.\u201d<\/p>\n Critics, too, have embraced the project. Like this blurb from Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly: \u201cLast night on PBS, I caught (this) reverent and fascinating documentary<\/em>\u2026a look at the art, influence, and longtime brotherly friendship of two of the most fabled Hollywood cinematographers of the 1970s. \u2026I knew who these two men were, understood a few things about their art, and had a dim awareness of the fact they were both Hungarian \u00e9migr\u00e9s. I was amazed at how much I didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n The 86-minute film, which aired on PBS stations in September 2009 as part of the Independent Lens series, and which earned Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, the network\u2019s Vanguard Award, for its tales of seemingly impossible dreams realized, spans 50 years in the lives of the titular characters, Zsigmond and Lazlo Kovacs, ASC. The movie tracks back to when the men escaped their native Hungary in the wake of that nation\u2019s October 1956 uprising against the Communist regime, and the brutal repression that followed. It included comments from some 70 individuals who crossed paths with Kovacs and Zsigmond, images from their films and a range of other clips.<\/p>\n \u201cSome filmmakers and fans at festivals knew about Vilmos and Laszlo before they saw the film,\u201d Chressanthis explains. \u201cBut I\u2019ve gotten blank stares when attempting to explain Laszlo\u2019s and Vilmos\u2019s contributions to people outside of the industry. Then, I reel off some of their films: Easy Rider<\/em>, Close Encounters of the Third Kind<\/em>, Paper Moon<\/em>, Deliverance<\/em>, The Deer Hunter<\/em>, Ghost Busters<\/em> and everybody\u2019s face lights up.\u201d<\/p>\n When I asked how he managed to get the project into so many different festivals, in so many different countries, beginning with the granddaddy of all, Cannes, he replied: \u201cI don\u2019t have any secret strategy for getting accepted. Generally, (the programmers) don\u2019t want referrals, copies of reviews or explainations. They want a DVD of the movie and your fee!\u201d<\/p>\n Break Out The Bubbly<\/strong><\/p>\n Chressanthis explains that Cannes was the right festival for his world premiere because Easy Rider<\/em> debuted there in 1969. The rave reviews for Easy Rider<\/em> at Cannes were followed by a successful run at the box office. That provided the impetus that brought Kovacs into the mainstream a dozen years after he arrived in the United States.<\/p>\n \u201cThe president of the Cannes festival personally informed me that our film was chosen,\u201d Chressanthis remembers. \u201cIt was an overwhelming, thrilling experience. I walked the red carpet with our producing team. We felt so happy that we premiered at the same festival which brought Laszlo Kovacs on the global scene.\u201d<\/p>\n A consistent theme of the movie is the brotherhood that linked the two cinematographers. Kovacs shot That Cold Day In The Park<\/em> with Robert Altman at the helm in 1969. \u201cWhen Altman asked Laszlo to shoot his next film, he told him that he had another commitment, and recommended Zsigmond, who he described as his mentor,\u201d Chressanthis explains. Which is how Zsigmond transitioned from shooting films with titles like Five Bloody Graves<\/em> and Horrors of the Blood Monster<\/em> to the Altman classic McCabe and Mrs. Miller<\/em>. The artful western was his first studio film and it could very well have been his last, as Zsigmond shared in a scene from No Subtitles Necessary.<\/p>\n The DP explained to Altman how Freddie Young, BSC, had a lab flash the film in order to create a desaturated look for a project he was shooting. They shot a test, and agreed that was the right visual grammar for McCabe and Mrs. Miller. When a studio executive wanted to fire Zsigmond, because dailies looked desaturated, Altman lied and blamed it on the lab.<\/p>\n \u201cOur film is filled with those behind the scenes anecdotes that movie fans, and even people in the industry don\u2019t typically hear,\u201d Chressanthis says, who adds, that enthusiastic news coverage and reviews at Cannes was the catalyst to being invited to festivals in North and South America, Asia and Europe.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a list that continues to grow to this day, including the Sant\u00e9 Fe Film Festival, Starz-Denver Film Festival, Big Bear Lake Film Festival, CamerImage International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Sedona Film Festival, Buenos Aires International Film Festival, Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival, Salem Film Festival, Kansas City FilmFest, Lake Arrowhead Film Festival, Seattle True Independent Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, Oakland Underground Film Festival, Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Hollywood Film Festival, Hungarian Film Festival of\u00a0 Los Angeles and Oslo International Film Festival.<\/p>\n ICG sponsored the premiere West Coast screening of No Subtitles Necessary<\/em> at the Fine Arts Cinema, in Beverly Hills, in September 2008. Following the screening, ICG president Steven Poster, ASC introduced Chressanthis, Zsigmond and Peter Fonda who engaged in a dialogue with the audience. The screening and discussion resulted in the first major American press reviews and news stories, which helped to propel Chressanthis\u2019 remarkable journey through the independent film festival circuit.<\/p>\n One clip from the movie features former ICG president George Spiro Dibie, ASC introducing Zsigmond at an ICG lighting seminar. \u201cVilmos left his wife to be with us today,\u201d Dibie announces. Whereupon Zsigmond replies, \u201cI have to correct George\u2019s English; I left (my wife) at home (to be here today). But I didn\u2019t leave her!\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from sponsoring its West Coast premiere, ICG has also screened No Subtitles Necessary<\/em> for members at the Tribeca Film Center in New York and at the Gene Siskel Film Center, in Chicago. There was also a special screening that played to a packed house at the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art.<\/p>\n Its creator was invited to fly to London with Zsigmond for a special screening for members of the British Society of Cinematographers.\u00a0 Another invitational screening is scheduled in Athens, Greece in 2010 in conjunction with a seminar for filmmakers and students conducted by Chressanthis and Zsigmond.<\/p>\n \u201cOne consistent theme in the media\u2019s coverage of the film,\u201d Chressanthis relays, \u201cis that it helps people who are not filmmakers understand the important role that cinematographers play. It\u2019s a revelation for them to see images Laszlo and Vilmos created and hear actors, directors and movie critics talk about how they helped to tell stories.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a little surprised, and humbled by the response,\u201d he adds. \u201cOne review said to the documentary was the \u2018right poetry\u2019 for the story of Laszlo and Vilmos. The reviewer spoke about how (the movie\u2019s subjects) created compelling images for entertaining films that also told stories about the human condition.\u201d<\/p>\n Inspiration for the project dates back to 1984, when Kovacs visited AFI, where Chressanthis was a student, to share his aesthetic approach to shooting Paper Moon.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth the film and Laszlo made a deep impression on me,\u201d he reports.<\/p>\n Two years later, Chressanthis interned with Zsigmond during the production of The Witches of Eastwick<\/em>, when Zsigmond and Kovacs hosted a lunch for the cast and crew celebrating the 30th anniversary of the uprising against the communist regime in Hungary.<\/p>\n \u201cThey toasted the spirit of the revolution and those who had given their lives in a quest for freedom,\u201d Chressanthis recalls. \u201cI was struck by their optimism and generosity of spirit. Their affection for each other affected me deeply. I remember thinking that someone ought to produce a documentary about them.\u201d<\/p>\n When he heard that UCLA was hosting a 50th anniversary celebration of Vilmos and Laszlo arriving in America at the Billy Wilder Theater in Los Angeles, Chressanthis decided the timing was ripe. He arranged to film interviews with the cinematographers, as well as other participants, at the celebration, which included screenings of clips from the UCLA archives.<\/p>\n \u201cLaszlo was skeptical,\u201d he smiles. \u201cVarious other people had previously told him that they were going to produce a documentary about him and Vilmos. I am grateful that we had opportunities to interview him, and am so sorry that Laszlo didn\u2019t get to see the film before he died.\u201d<\/p>\n There was no production company in the beginning, but Chressanthis doesn\u2019t claim to be an auteur. Various people who shared his dream, including cinematographer Anka Malatynska and many film industry companies rallied to support his ambitious endeavor. With their help he filmed more than 50 hours of interviews.<\/p>\n The short list includes Karen Black, Peter Bogdanovich, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, Richard Donner, Peter Fonda, Tatum O\u2019Neal, Bob Rafelson, Mark Rydel, Sharon Stone, Jon Voight, John Williams, Irwin Winkler, Rob McLachlan, ASC, CSC, Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC, Steve Poster, ASC, Allen Daviau, ASC, Ellen Kuras, ASC, Owen Roizman, ASC, Haskell Wexler, ASC, Ray Dennis Steckler, Crayton Smith, Leonard Maltin, Todd McCarthy, Audrey Kovacs and Susanne Zsigmond.\u00a0 Their comments are artfully woven with shots culled from movies shot by Kovacs and Zsigmond and still photographs. It was no small endeavor trimming it down to 86 minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cAn amazing number of people helped us make this dream come true,\u201d Chressanthis concludes. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t have done it without them. I realized while we were on the festival circuit that the story of how Laszlo and Vilmos overcame incredible obstacles on their paths to success is inspiring young filmmakers around the world to be persistent and follow their dreams. I know they inspired me to make this film.\u201d<\/p>\n No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo and Vilmos<\/em> is now available in DVD format at http:\/\/www.laszloandvilmos.com.<\/p>\n By Bob Fisher<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" James Chressanthis, ASC, talks about his travels on the indie film festival circuit – from Cannes to Buenos Aires and everywhere in-between<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-web-exclusive"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/images\/vilmos2.jpg\")
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\nGuild and Industry Support<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/images\/vilmos4.jpg\")
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\nThe filmmaker estimates that about 75 percent of the interviews were produced in Super 16 format. The other interviews were produced in digital HD format, and behind the scenes footage was filmed with a Super 8 camera provided by Pro 8MM, in Burbank.<\/p>\n