Néstor Almendros facts for kids

Néstor Almendros Cuyás (born October 30, 1930 – died March 4, 1992) was a famous Spanish cinematographer. A cinematographer is someone who plans and shoots the camera work for movies. Néstor Almendros was known for his amazing skill and for believing that natural light was the most beautiful way to film. Many people remember him as a true master of light in filmmaking.

Early Life and Studies

Néstor Almendros Cuyás was born in Barcelona, Spain. When he was 18, he moved to Cuba to live with his father. His father had left Spain because he was against the government at the time. In Havana, Néstor started writing reviews about movies.

Later, he went to Rome, Italy, to study filmmaking at a special school called the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. He directed six short films in Cuba and two in New York City.

Return to Cuba and Move to Paris

After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Néstor went back to Cuba. He made several documentaries for the government. However, two of his short films were not allowed to be shown. Because of this, he decided to move to Paris, France.

Starting in 1964, Néstor became a favorite helper for Éric Rohmer, a director known for the French New Wave style of movies. In the early 1970s, Néstor also began working with other famous directors like François Truffaut and Barbet Schroeder.

Filming Career in Hollywood

Néstor Almendros started working in Hollywood with the movie Days of Heaven (1978). This film was written and directed by Terrence Malick. Malick admired Néstor's work on an earlier film called The Wild Child (1970).

Néstor was very impressed by how much Malick knew about photography. He also liked that Malick was willing to use very little studio lighting. The way Days of Heaven was filmed was inspired by silent movies, which often used natural light. In 1979, Néstor Almendros won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on Days of Heaven.

Academy Award Nominations

Néstor Almendros was nominated for three more Academy Awards for his cinematography. These nominations were for the movies Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), The Blue Lagoon (1980), and Sophie's Choice (1982). This made him the Spanish person with the most Academy Award nominations as of 2021.

He also worked as the cinematographer for the John Lennon documentary, Imagine: John Lennon (1988). This film was directed by Andrew Solt.

Later Work and Documentaries

In his later years, Néstor Almendros also helped direct two documentaries. These films focused on human rights situations in Cuba. One film was called Mauvaise Conduite (1984), which talked about challenges faced by some groups in Cuba. The other was Nadie escuchaba (Nobody Was Listening), which discussed the experiences of former friends of Fidel Castro.

Néstor also filmed several well-known advertisements. He worked on ads for Giorgio Armani, directed by Martin Scorsese, and for Calvin Klein, directed by Richard Avedon. He also filmed commercials for Freixenet.

Awards and Recognition

Human Rights Watch International has created an award in Néstor Almendros's honor. It is called the Nestor Almendros Award for Courage in Filmmaking. This award is given out every year at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.

In 1980, Néstor Almendros won the César Award for his work on François Truffaut's movie The Last Metro.

Death

Néstor Almendros passed away in New York City in 1992. He was 61 years old and died from a serious illness.

See also

• List of Spanish Academy Award winners and nominees
• In Spanish: Néstor Almendros para niños