STORARO, VITTORIO

(1940-)

Cinematographer. Son of a projectionist for theLux Filmstudios in Rome, Storaro developed an early passionate interest in photography, which he pursued privately at the Italian Cinemagraphic Training Center, and then professionally at theCentro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. After an apprenticeship as assistant cameraman onBernardo Bertolucci'sPrima della rivoluzione(Before the Revolution, 1966), Storaro graduated to director of photography on Franco Rossi'sGiovinezza, Giovinezza(Youth, Oh Youth, 1969).A year later withLa strategia del ragno(The Spider's Stratagem) andIl conformista(The Conformist) there began a long partnership with Bernardo Bertolucci that would see Storaro as regular cinematographer on all of Bertolucci's major films, fromUltimo Tango a Parigi(Last Tango in Paris, 1972) andNovecento(1900, 1976) toThe Sheltering Sky(1990) andThe Little Buddha(1993). In between, Francis Ford Coppola would lure Storaro to the Philippines to photographApocalypse Now(1979), for which Storaro would receive his first Academy Award, an achievement repeated two years later with his work on Warren Beatty'sReds. He would receive a third Oscar for his work on Bertolucci'sThe Last Emperor(1987). Considered by many to be the leading cinematographer of his generation—Moviemakeronce called him "the high priest of light"— Storaro has been honored with numerous awards and prizes including the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Cinematographers (2001) and the Coolidge Award for Cinematography in 2005. Currently, Storaro teaches cinematography at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia.