B-Rated Intl. has acquired worldwide sales and distribution rights to “Robert Richardson: The White Devil,” a feature documentary about cinematographer Robert Richardson, a three-time Academy Award winner who is a close collaborator of Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and many other filmmakers. The trailer debuts here.
As previously announced, Richardson will be awarded the Crystal Globe for Contribution to World Cinema at the 60th Karlovy Vary Film Festival on July 5 at the world premiere of the film.
Richardson was Oscar nominated for “Platoon” (1986), “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), “Snow Falling on Cedars” (2000), “Inglourious Basterds” (2010), “Django Unchained” (2012), “The Hateful Eight” (2015) and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019). He won Oscars for “JFK” (1992), “The Aviator” (2004) and “Hugo” (2011).
“Robert Richardson: The White Devil” explores Richardson’s “extraordinary contribution to contemporary cinema, tracing his artistic journey and examining the visual language that has defined some of the most acclaimed films of the past decades,” according to the company’s statement. “Through exclusive interviews, archival materials and insights from collaborators, the documentary offers a portrait of one of the industry’s most influential cinematographers.”
Director Jana Hojdova commented: “Several years ago, while living in Prague, I sent an email to Robert Richardson with almost no expectation of ever getting a reply. To me, he was one of the greatest cinematographers of all time, the creative force behind some of cinema’s most unforgettable images. When he replied, that single message unexpectedly became the beginning of a years-long journey that took me from Los Angeles and London to New Zealand and Sofia as I followed Richardson during the making of several major films. And he introduced me to filmmakers I had admired my entire life.
“What makes this film so special to me is not only the extraordinary access Robert granted to me, but also that he trusted me enough to give me access to hundreds of hours of personal archives, which include some of the most intimate chapters of his life. For a young filmmaker, I cannot imagine a greater privilege. This film is my attempt to capture the passion, curiosity, sacrifice and creative courage that lie behind a life spent at the very summit of Hollywood filmmaking.”
Arnaud Chevallier at B-Rated said: “We feel this documentary offers a deeply personal and compelling perspective on one of the greatest cinematographers of all time. Through Jana’s personal story and her unique relationship with Robert Richardson, the film also sheds light on an important chapter of American cinema history. We believe the documentary will appeal not only to cinephiles and film professionals, but also to wider audiences curious to discover the man behind some of the most iconic images in contemporary filmmaking.”
Hojdová’s “The Dream” was nominated for best cinematography in the short film category at Camerimage and received the Jaroslav Kučera Award by the Czech Society of Cinematographers. “Robert Richardson: The White Devil” is her debut as a feature film director. Most recently, she shot feature film “Chica Checa,” which is in the Crystal Globe Competition section of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
“Robert Richardson: The White Devil” is produced by Matěj Chlupáček, Hojdová and Nela Schlaichertová; the associate producers are Maja Hamplová and Francesca Kolowrat.
Barletta, HN Film and Bridge Film are the producers for CameRRaman. It is supported by PPF Foundation.
