CineTributes: Benoit Debie
It took Variety nine years to proclaim Benoit Debie one of "10 cinematographers to watch", as they did in 2011. By then, no doubt plenty of their own regular writers had already been watching his work for most of a decade, but for sure they and the rest of us would only be too happy to continue! Extraordinarily, Debie's debut feature was Gaspar Noe's innovative 2002 bombshell Irreversible, an incredible feat of technical skill and artistry for a cinematographer of any experience - it must rank among the all-time greatest pieces of cinematography from a first-timer.
Belgian Debie subsequently made a name for himself on the vanguard of European arthouse cinema in the 2000s; once he reunited with Noe for 2009's Enter the Void, that name evolved into one of international cinema's most talented and distinctive visual artists. Since then, he's broadened his repertoire with titles like 2018's Western The Sisters Brothers, and produced more of his signature neon-lit aesthetic extravaganzas with titles like 2015's Love and last year's The Beach Bum. Never mind one of 10 cinematographers to watch - if you haven't watched any of his stuff by now, you could do worse than pressing play on the video above.
Films featured
Irreversible, 2002
Calvaire, 2004
Innocence, 2004
Day Night Day Night, 2006
Vinyan, 2008
Enter the Void, 2009
Spring Breakers, 2012
Lost River, 2014
Love, 2015
Climax, 2018
The Sisters Brothers, 2018
The Beach Bum, 2019