A film is like a gothic cathedral. It is brought into being as a result of a creative co-operation of artists of various professions – all directed by ‘magister operis’, the director. It is mainly directors and actors (who are like sculptures and paintings decorating the cathedral) who attract attention at festivals, competitions or film reviews. The role of cinematographers and their importance as contributors to the visual effect of the whole construction – the final shape of the film picture – is usually underappreciated. Yet, the creation of moving pictures by means of a camera goes back to the sources of the cinema and camera story-telling, in which a picture, equally with the plot, accumulates the meaning. This would not be possible without the great art of cinematographers.
