Cinematographer

Born, raised & educated in New Zealand. Russian father, English mother. After University joined Pacific Films full time, a small documentary film based in Wellington.

Whilst at University and after I watched a huge number of films and was seriously attracted to mostly European cinema, French Nouvelle Vague, Italian Neo Realismo, along with Central and Eastern European cinema of the same and earlier periods I also applied to study at the Lodz film school, but was advised all lessons were in Polish. Sadly that was the end of that. I also realised that I would have to go to where these films were made. Rather than wait for NZ to make these type of films. After 3 years working in NZ I left for Rome where I lived for a year, enjoying enormously Roman life. I then left for London, where shortly after arriving met Alan Parker and Harold Becker who were amongst the first directors I worked with. Shooting many of Alan’s films from Bugsy Malone , Midnight Express, Fame, Angel Heart along with many others. Including his final film, ’The Life of David Gale’ Harold Beckers films included his and my first Ragmans Daughter and then City Hall along with many others. Subsequently I worked with Alfonso Cuarón on the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gravity . Andy Serkis’s Mowgli.

To complicate my life I started a vineyard in NZ. So along with my film work and interest, I have the wine world to keep me occupied. And best of all Poland via Marek Kondrat imports our wines. So a nice balance of film culture and wine culture too.