Sven Nykvist facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sven Nykvist
|
|
|---|---|
Sven Nykvist on the cover of his book Vördnad för ljuset ("Reverence for the light"). 1997.
|
|
| Born |
Sven Vilhem Nykvist
3 December 1922 |
| Died | 20 September 2006 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Spouse(s) |
(m. 1952–1968)
|
| Children | Carl-Gustaf Nykvist |
Sven Vilhem Nykvist (born December 3, 1922 – died September 20, 2006) was a Swedish cinematographer and filmmaker. A cinematographer is the person in charge of the camera and lighting in a movie. They decide how each scene looks on screen. Sven Nykvist was known for making films look very natural and simple. Many people think he was one of the best cinematographers ever.
He is most famous for working with the director Ingmar Bergman. Together, they made many important movies. Sven Nykvist won two Oscars for his work. These were for the films Cries and Whispers (1972) and Fanny and Alexander (1982). He also worked with Bergman on films like The Virgin Spring (1960) and Persona (1966).
Nykvist also worked with the American director Woody Allen. Their films include Another Woman (1988) and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). He also filmed other popular movies like Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993).
Early Life and Learning
Sven Nykvist was born in Moheda, a town in Sweden. His parents were Lutheran missionaries. This means they traveled to other countries to share their religious beliefs. They spent most of their lives in the Belgian Congo in Africa. Because of this, Sven was raised by relatives in Sweden. He did not see his parents very often.
His father loved taking pictures of African wildlife. This might have made Sven interested in photography and movies. When he was young, Sven was a good athlete. He even filmed himself doing a high jump to get better at it! After studying photography in Stockholm, he started working in the Swedish film industry at age 19.
A Career in Film
In 1941, Sven Nykvist began as an assistant cameraman. He helped out on a film called The Poor Millionaire. He then moved to Italy in 1943 to work at Cinecittà Studios. Two years later, he returned to Sweden. By 1945, at just 23 years old, he became a full cinematographer. His first movie as the main cameraman was The Children from Frostmo Mountain.
For several years, he worked on many smaller Swedish films. He also spent time in Africa with his parents. There, he filmed wildlife. This footage later became a documentary called In the Footsteps of the Witch Doctor.
Sven Nykvist became the main cinematographer for the famous director Ingmar Bergman. He was the only cameraman on Bergman's Oscar-winning films The Virgin Spring (1959) and Through a Glass Darkly (1960). He changed how faces were filmed in close-up shots. This was especially clear in Bergman's movie Persona (1966).
Nykvist also worked with many other directors around the world. He filmed movies in the United States and other countries. Some of these films include:
- The Tenant (1976) by Roman Polanski
- Pretty Baby (1978) by Louis Malle
- The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) by Bob Rafelson
- Agnes of God (1985) by Norman Jewison
- The Sacrifice (1986) by Andrei Tarkovsky
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) by Philip Kaufman
- Chaplin (1992) by Richard Attenborough
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993) by Nora Ephron
- What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) by Lasse Hallström
Sven Nykvist won two Academy Awards for his cinematography. These were for Cries and Whispers (1972) and Fanny and Alexander (1982). Both were films directed by Ingmar Bergman. Nykvist said that Fanny and Alexander was his favorite film he ever shot. He also won a special award at the 9th Guldbagge Awards in Sweden for Cries and Whispers. He was nominated for another Oscar for The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988).
He also directed a film himself called The Ox (1991). This movie was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Nykvist won a special prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his work on The Sacrifice (1986). He was the first European cinematographer to join the American Society of Cinematographers, a group for top cinematographers in America. He received a special Lifetime Achievement Award from them in 1996.
Later Life and Legacy
Sven Nykvist's career ended in 1998 when he was diagnosed with aphasia. This is a condition that affects a person's ability to speak and understand language. He passed away in 2006 at the age of 83. He wrote three books, including Curtain Call in 1999. His son, Carl-Gustaf Nykvist, made a documentary about him in 1999 called Light Keeps Me Company.
Today, the Sven Nykvist Cinematography Award is given out every year at the Gothenburg Film Festival in Sweden. This award honors new cinematographers. In 2003, a survey by the International Cinematographers Guild named Nykvist as one of the ten most important cinematographers in history.
Images for kids
-
Sven Nykvist on the cover of his book Vördnad för ljuset ("Reverence for the light"). 1997.
-
Sven Nykvist with director Ingmar Bergman during the filming of Through a Glass Darkly, 1960
See also
In Spanish: Sven Nykvist para niños
