Eduardo Serra
Eduardo Serra | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eduardo Martins Serra 2 October 1943 Lisbon, Portugal |
| Died | 19 August 2025 (aged 81) Paris, France |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1971–2013 |
Eduardo Martins Serra GOIH (2 October 1943 – 19 August 2025) was a Portuguese cinematographer who spent most of his career working in European film productions, mostly in French, Portuguese and British films, with frequent collaborations with directors Patrice Leconte and Claude Chabrol.
Serra is also known for his work on the M. Night Shyamalan film Unbreakable and the final two Harry Potter films, The Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2.
Life and career
From 1960 to 1963, Serra studied engineering at Lisbon's Instituto Superior Técnico, but he had to leave the country after his involvement in students' protests against Salazar's dictatorship. He settled in France, where he was accepted to Vaugirard film school in Paris; he graduated in 1966. In 1970 he got his second degree from the Paris-Sorbonne University, in Art History and Archeology.[1]
Serra was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. His first nomination was for his work on The Wings of the Dove (1997), for which he also won a BAFTA. He received his second Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for Girl with a Pearl Earring.
In 2004, Serra was made Commander of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator, a civilian award presented for services to Portuguese culture, by President Jorge Sampaio. In 2017, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, promoted him to the senior rank of Grand Officer of the same Order.[2]
Serra died on 19 August 2025, at the age of 81.[3]
Filmography
Short film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Les derniers beaux jours | Jean-Yves Rondière |
| 1980 | Une voix | Dominique Crèvecoeur |
| 1982 | Une histoire dérisoire | Michel Campioli |
| 1985 | Duty Free Shop | |
| 1993 | Die Inschrift des Gottes | Heinz Peter Schwerfel |
| 2012 | A Therapy | Roman Polanski |
Feature film
Documentary film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Des terroristes à la retraite | Mosco Boucault | With Guy-Auguste Boléat, François Catonné, Guy Chanel, Jean Orjollet, Philippe Rousselot and Carlo Varini |
| 1984 | Nasdine Hodja au pays du business | Jean-Patrick Lebel | |
| 1986 | I Grandi Manoveri | Heinz Peter Schwerfel | |
| 2007 | Fados | Carlos Saura | With Jose Luis Lopez-Linares |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Die dritte Dimension | Heinz Peter Schwerfel | Miniseries |
| 1991 | Cycle Simenon | Jacques Fansten | Episode "Le mouchoir de Joseph" |
Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Wings of the Dove | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2003 | Girl with a Pearl Earring | Nominated |
American Society of Cinematographers
| Year | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | International Award | Won |
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Map of the Human Heart | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Wings of the Dove | Best Cinematography | Won |
| 2003 | Girl with a Pearl Earring | Nominated |
British Society of Cinematographers
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Wings of the Dove | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2003 | Girl with a Pearl Earring | Nominated |
Camerimage
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Jude | Golden Frog | Nominated |
| Silver Frog | Won | ||
| 1997 | The Wings of the Dove | Golden Frog | Nominated |
| Bronze Frog | Won |
César Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Le mari de la coiffeuse | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
Satellite Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Girl with a Pearl Earring | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Nominated |
Distinctions
National orders
- Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator (27 March 2017)[2]
- Commander of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator (5 March 2004)[2]
References
- ^ "AIP Cinema". AIP Cinema. 2 October 1943. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
- ^ a b c "Cidadãos Nacionais Agraciados com Ordens Portuguesas". Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Morreu Eduardo Serra, o diretor de fotografia português que conquistou Hollywood e o cinema europeu (in Portuguese)
External links
- Eduardo Serra at IMDb
- Eduardo Serra on AFC
- Eduardo Serra discography at Discogs