The art is not to look for answers, but to ask the right questions.
I have a heart for films that are director driven, artistic expressions of one’s inner world - or personal reflections of one’s view on the outside world.
Each film dictates how it should be filmed and needs it's own specific language. My main task as a cinematographer is to find that language. Enough preparation - over an extensive period of time - is crucial to let this process bear fruit.
There’s not only the visible part of light to work with.
To actually enjoy a long day of filming is a real blessing and makes it worth the effort. Therefore, a good personal bonding with the director is a must. My discovery of his or her underlying motivation often feels like a re-discovery for the director him- or herself. A welcome pause from the very practical and hectic production fase in which I’m welcomed.
When eventually cast and crew tune in to that same energy, it can be truly magic and a film will become what it wants to become.
- Victor Sjöström as Professor Isak Borg in Ingmar Bergman's 'Wild Strawberries' (1957)
“Not beautiful photography, not beautiful images, but necessary images and photography.”
Curriculum
Awards & Nominations
Golden Eye IFF, Georgia
Camerimage IFF, Poland
Cinema Eye Honors Award, US
Work in progress
Solipsis | Harm Dens | Quetzalcoatl | Feature film Merci Johnny | Fabrice Chan | Denzzo | Shortfilm Zilverreiger | Petronella van der Hallen | Hilife | Shortfilm Coup de Vent | Charlotte de Cort | Lunanime | Shortfilm Mijn papa is (g)een boef | Petronella van der Hallen | Lunanime | Documentary Hello?! | Sofie Benoot | Quetzalcoatl | Documentary
Finished
Apple Cider Vinegar (2024) | Sofie Benoot | Inti-films | Documentary Soundtrack to a coup d’état (2024) | Johan Grimonprez | Documentary Les Dames Blanches (2024) | Camille Gheskiere | Associate Directors | Documentary Holgut (2021) | Liesbeth De Ceulaer | Mindsmeet | Documentary Bingeloving (2021) | Thomas Deknop | Denzzo | Shortfilm Papamagneet (2020) | Daphne van den Blink | Timescapes | Documentary Omentum Omentum (2020) | Sarah Vanaght | Balthazar | Installation Another Paradise (2019) | Olivier Magis | Clin d’oeil | Documentary Schoon Donker (2019) | Katrien Feyaerts | Mountain View | Documentary Exposure (2019) | Thomas Hendriks | Blauwhuis | Shortfilm Sakawa (2019) | Ben Asamoah | Inti-films | Documentary Inclusief (2018) | Ellen Vermeulen | Inti-films | Documentary Doel, the town that won’t die (2018) | Frederik Solberg | Made in Kopenhagen, Czar | Documentary Er was eens, de Noordzee (2018) | Liesbeth de Ceulaer | Diplodokus | Documentary De geschiedenis van het varken (in ons) (2017) | Jan Vromman | Cobra | Documentary Breaking Rainbows (2017) | Orla Barry | Argos VZW | Art film The miracle of Almeria (2017) | Moon Blaisse en Thomas Bellinck | Documentary series Catch 19to25 (2016) | Ellen Vermeulen | De chinezen | Short documentary Terminus (2016) | Annabel Verbeke | De chinezen | Short documentary Musée Sentimental (2016) | Marc Didden | De chinezen | Short documentary Literaire Meesters / Lize Spit (2016) | Ellen Vermeulen | Offworld | Short documentary Sweet Dumplings (2016) | Lai Kin Chang | Zonderling | Shortfilm Nothingness (2015) | Harm Dens | Quetzalcoatl | Shortfilm The hero with a thousand faces (2015) | Juliette Joffé | Mountain View | Documentary Greenland (2015) | Tomas Kaan | VPRO | Feature Film Archibelge (2014) | Sofie Benoot | Offworld | Documentary series 9999 (2014) | Ellen Vermeulen | Associate Directors | Documentary Tender (2014) | Jonas Vandermeersch | Sint-Lukas Brussel | Short film Princes (2014) | Leonardo van Dijl | Oscar & The Wolf | Music video The Inventor of Summer (2014) | Leonardo van Dijl | And they spoke in anthems | Music video Black Dog Panting (2014) | Leonardo van Dijl | School is Cool | Music video Summerhouse (2014) | Jonathan Wannyn | And they spoke in anthems | Music video Oh my God (2014) | Ellen Vermeulen | And they spoke in anthems | Music video Scape (2014) | Jana Coorevits | Sint-Lukas Brussel | Experimental shortfilm Get Ripped (2013) | Leonardo van Dijl | Sint-Lukas Brussel | Shortfilm Atlantis (2013) | Jonas Vandermeersch | Sint-Lukas Brussel | Shortfilm Martin’s Journey (2013) | Thom Vander Beken | Documentary Fucking Suburbia (2012) | Jeff Otte | Cobblersson | Shortfilm Tanja (2012) | Ellen Vermeulen | Associate Directors | Short Documentary Dikke vrienden (2010) | Marc Didden | Caviar | Short Documentary 41 jaar Gentse Feesten (2010) | Christopher Daley | Trefpunt Gent | Documentary Jack’s Hat (2010) | Christopher Daley | Dez Mona | Music video Still/Here (2009) | Griet Teck | KASK Gent | Shortfilm Carry On (2009) | Christopher Daley | Dez Mona | Music video Sara en Dirk (2008) | Jeff Otte | RITS Brussel | Shortfilm The Altruists (2007) | Koen Dejaegher | RITS Brussel | Shortfilm O (2006) | Pieter-Jan De Pue | RITS Brussel | Shortfilm De drie Christussen (2006) | Koen Dejaegher | RITS Brussel | Shortfilm Christian (2006) | Koen Braeckman | RITS Brussel | Shortfilm
Additional Camera
Une femme qui part (2024) | Ellen Vermeulen | Inti-Films | Documentary She They Us (2023) | Casette for Timescapes | Documentary Licht (2022) | Sarah Lederman | De Mensen | Short Documentary Human Playground (2022) | Tomas Kaan | Documentary Series Professor T (2020) | Caviar | Series Before we die (2020) | Caviar | Series Beau Séjour (2019) | De mensen | Series Albatros (2019) | Wannes Destoop | De wereldvrede Passe-partout (2016) | Tim De Keersmaecker | Zonderling | Documentary Als de dijken breken (2016) | Hans Herbots | Menuet | Series De bende van Jan de Lichte (2016) | Robin Pront | Menuet | Series Belgica (2015) | Felix van Groeningen | Menuet | Feature film Oratorium zonder Doel (2015) | Manu Riche | Documentary Vermist (2015) | Hans Herbots | Eyeworks | Series
Lighting technician
In jouw naam (2013) | Marco van Geffen | Feature film Marina (2013) | Stijn Coninckx | Feature film Brasserie Romantique (2012) | Joël Vanhoebrouck | Feature film The Artists (2012) | Hans Herbots | Feature film Met man en macht (2012) | Tom Vandyck en Tom Lenaerts | Series Groenten uit Balen (2011) | Frank van Mechelen | Feature film Steppes (2010) | Vanja d’Alcantara | Feature film Adem (2010) | Hans van Nuffel | Feature film Majesteit (2010) | Peter de Baan | Feature film De Ronde (2010) | Jan Eelen | Series Turquaze (2009) | Kadir Balci | Feature film Blinker 3 (2008) | Filip van Neyghem | Feature film De helaasheid der dingen (2008) | Felix van Groeningen | Feature film De Storm (2008) | Ben Sombogaart | Feature film 180 (2008) | Jacob Verbruggen | Series Van Vlees en Bloed (2008) | Tom Vandyck | Series Aanrijding in Moscou (2007) | Christophe van Rompuy | Feature film To walk again (2007) | Stijn Coninckx | Feature film Bloedbroeders (2007) | Arno Dierckx | Feature film Linkeroever (2007) | Pieter van Groeningen | Feature film Aspe (2006-2007) | Frank Vanmechelen | Series Dagen zonder lief (2006) | Felix van Groeningen | Feature film Katarakt (2006) | Jan Mathijs | Series Vidange Perdue (2005) | Geoffrey Enthoven | Feature film The curiosity of Chance (2005) | Russel P. Marleau | Feature film De hel van Tanger (2005) | Frank van Mechelen | Feature film
Teacher
Guest teacher at RITCS Filmschool Brussels (BE)
Guest teacher at LUCA School of Arts (BE)
Education
2003 – 2005 Cinematography, Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema and Sound, Brussels
2001 – 2002 Interior Design, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Ghent
2000 Visual Arts, Secondary Art School, Ghent
1993 – 1999 Economics-Mathematics, St-Jan Berghmans College, Avelgem
At your service since 1982
