On May 24, 2024, on the eve of the closing night of the Cannes Film Festival, Angénieux, the renowned optical manufacturer of the French lenses industry, celebrated the Pierre Angénieux Tribute. The ceremony, an official partner of the Cannes Film Festival since 2013, was opened by Thierry Frémaux, Delegate General of the Cannes Film Festival, and presented by French journalist Charlotte Lipinska. This year, the tribute was dedicated to Indian cinematographer Santosh Sivan (A.S.C, I.S.C), who also gave a masterclass on May 23, in the presence of the Ambassador of India, Jawed Ashraf. The honorary godmother of this event was the French actress and director Mélanie Laurent.
Indian actress Preity Zinta, who has collaborated with Sivan on several occasions, and Emmanuel Sprauel, President of the Angénieux brand, presented the Angénieux trophy to Santosh Sivan – a set of Optimo Prime lenses (24mm, 32mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm) specially engraved with his name – which will allow him to showcase his extraordinary creativity in new ways.
“Santosh has known Angénieux well for a long time. He will use our new Optimo Primes in an upcoming movie. Each lens contains a special combination enshrined in the optical heart of Angénieux, resulting from personalized design and the experience of Angénieux teams, recognizable by the unique perception of the image it produces and bearing the Angénieux brand.”
Emmanuel Sprauel
“His cinema is very real, very raw. Being in front of the camera with Santosh is an absolute pleasure because you know you can trust him, you know it is going to be wow. One thing about Santosh is that no matter how tough it might be, he is always smiling, he always makes it easy. I’m so proud of you, Santosh, we are so proud of you… Congratulations!” –
Preity Zinta
In addition to the Tribute, Angénieux continued to highlight the work of a young operator during the ceremony, for the 6th year since 2018.
Kadri Koop received the Angénieux Special Encouragement – a special endowment offering her the possibility of using the best of Angénieux technology for the images of her forthcoming projects. Kadri Koop received her endowment from the hands of Mélanie Laurent, French actress and director, and Dominique Rouchon, Managing Director, Angénieux International Sales-Marketing & Communication.
The ceremony featured a montage of sumptuous clips from films lit by Santosh Sivan, including Dil Se, Asoka, Meenaxi, and Fiza, among others. It with a particularly moving moment with the screening of video testimonials from personalities who crossed paths with Santosh Sivan and wished to congratulate their friend.
