Biographie et filmographie

Teo Escamilla

Teodoro Escamilla Serrano; Seville, 1940 - Matanzas, Cuba, 1997 Spanish cinematographer. In contrast to directors of photography who were concerned above all with creating their own style, Teo Escamilla was always in favor of a patient craftsmanship in cinematographic lighting that allowed him to adapt it, scene by scene, to the director's vision and to the specific story.

He began his professional career as a photojournalist for publications such as Cine en 7 días, El Caso, the Madrid newspaper and the magazine Sábado Gráfico, and later as a television operator. In 1964 he became assistant cameraman on Llegar a más (1964, Jesús Fernández Santos) and the regular second operator for Luis Cuadrado, his mentor and teacher, whom he succeeded after his retirement due to illness in 1976 as director of photography on the films produced by Elías Querejeta.

He debuted as first operator in Las violentas (1974, Fernando Miranda), to later take over from Juan Antonio Ruiz Anchía in El desencanto (1976, Jaime Chávarri), and from then on developed an intense work that would make him one of the most outstanding operators in Spanish cinema. He frequently worked on films by filmmakers such as Carlos Saura, Jaime Chávarri, Jaime de Armiñán (with whom in 1979 he founded the production company A punto, later Serva Films), Víctor Erice, José Luis Borau and Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, among others. For Carlos Saura's El amor brujo (1986), he received the Goya award for best cinematography.

After directing two short films, Quiero ser mayor (1976) and an episode of the collective film Cuentos para una escapada (1979), in 1983 he debuted as a feature film director with Tú solo, a story set in the world of bullfighting, which received the Special Mention for best new director at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, although his career as first director did not continue.

Photos

Films (81)

The Rats

1997 · Director of Photography

Robo en el cine Capitol

1996 · Cinematography

King of the River

1995 · Director of Photography

Felicidades, Tovarich

1995 · Producer, Cinematography, Camera Operator

La Lola se va a los puertos

1993 · Cinematography

The Dark Night of the Soul

1989 · Director of Photography

Berlin Blues

1988 · Director of Photography

El Dorado

1988 · Director of Photography

Mi general

1987 · Director of Photography, Camera Operator

El amor brujo

1986 · Director of Photography

Tata Mía

1986 · Director of Photography, Camera Operator

The Witching Hour

1985 · Director of Photography

Beyond the Walls

1985 · Director of Photography

Stico

1985 · Director of Photography

On the Line

1984 · Director of Photography

The Stilts

1984 · Director of Photography

You Alone

1984 · Writer, Director

A Summer in Hell

1984 · Director of Photography

Ferocious

1984 · Director of Photography

Dressed in Blue

1983 · Cinematography

Carmen

1983 · Director of Photography

Antonieta

1982 · Director of Photography

Sweet Hours

1982 · Director of Photography

Trágala, perro

1981 · Director of Photography

Evening Performance

1981 · Director of Photography

Cuentos para una escapada

1981 · Director, Director of Photography

Faster, Faster

1981 · Cinematography, Director of Photography

Blood Wedding

1981 · Director of Photography

Maravillas

1981 · Cinematography

The Nest

1980 · Director of Photography

Dedicated to...

1980 · Director of Photography

F. E. N.

1980 · Director of Photography

Mama Turns 100

1979 · Director of Photography

Heart of the Forest

1979 · Director of Photography

Somnambulists

1978 · Cinematography

The Prodigious Life of Father Vincent

1978 · Director of Photography

Blindfolded Eyes

1978 · Director of Photography