Eduardo Serra, Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Dies
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Eduardo Serra, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer of Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Wings of the Dove, who also lensed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Unbreakable, and many other films, passed away on August 19 at the age of 81. The Portuguese Film Academy confirmed his death.
Born on October 2, 1943, in Lisbon, Serra began his artistic career as an assistant cinematographer in Paris in 1983 with the film Sem Sombra de Pecado (No Trace of Sin). He shot seven films for Claude Chabrol, including The Hairdresser’s Husband in 1990.
David Yates collaborated with Serra on the two-part finale of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which were shot back-to-back and became among the highest-grossing films in history. The first part was released in 2010, followed by the second in 2011, and together they grossed over $2.3 billion worldwide.
Serra’s credits also include Michael Winterbottom’s Jude (1996), Vincent Ward’s What Dreams May Come (1998), Beyond the Sea starring Kevin Spacey, and Blood Diamond (2006).
In 2000, he told American Cinematographer about working with M. Night Shyamalan on Unbreakable: “He doesn’t follow the traditional American approach of shooting a master and then a series of close-ups to ensure coverage. He doesn’t take extra shots; instead, he uses very long, carefully composed takes, and everything is meticulously storyboarded. Although we sometimes made changes, most of the time we adhered to the storyboard. His approach combines the best of both worlds: America and Europe.”
Serra was the only Portuguese cinematographer ever nominated for two Academy Awards in cinematography. He won three Camerimage awards as well as the International Award from the American Society of Cinematographers.
