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Monsieur Aznavour was one of the Industry Selects for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The French feature film follows the story of the legendary singer’s rise to fame, spanning over several time periods from the 1930s to the 1970s. From his triumphs to his failures, from Paris to New York, the biopic dives into an exceptional journey of the artist.
One of the creative minds behind ‘Monsieur Aznavour’ is Cinematographer Brecht Goyvaerts, SBC. Goyvaerts’ love for cinema began as a young child, intrigued when watching his older brother develop photos in his darkroom. Several years later, he graduated from film school and began working on sets for music videos, then moving on to the advertising world.
Over a decade later, Goyvaerts is now known for his work on films and TV series such as Paris Police 1900 (2021) and Black Spot (2019). Cooke spoke with Goyvaerts about his creative decisions behind ‘Monsieur Aznavour’, his experience working with Cooke lenses and on-set challenges he faced.
When asked how he got involved in Monsieur Aznavour, Brecht Goyvaerts recounts, “I was contacted by the line producer, Olivier Lagny, who had been following my career for a while. The directors and producers had a few DP’s on their shortlist, so we all had individual meetings about the project. It felt like a great match right away because they didn’t need much time to decide they wanted me for the job.”
Despite not having worked with the director before, Goyvaerts found the experience compelling. “It’s always a bit strange and exciting when you work with someone for the first time. You’re never sure what to expect, but as you go along, you keep discovering more about each other,” Goyvaerts said, recalling the process of building rapport throughout production.
Discussing the initial visual references and storyboards, Goyvaerts highlighted the directors’ vision of achieving a mix between “international” and “American traditional cinema” aesthetics. “We had multiple long discussions and brainstorming sessions to figure out how to bring that atmosphere to life. The story spans several decades, from the 1930s to the 1970s, and while there was a temptation to create a distinct look for each era, I wanted to avoid that. With over 60 sets, costumes, and character looks changing, maintaining a sense of homogeneity was crucial.”
To subtly guide the audience through time periods, Goyvaerts used lighting as his primary tool. “For the earlier periods, I opted for warmer, tungsten sources and transitioned to cooler, harder lighting as the story progressed. But everything was done subtly, aligning with the color palettes of the sets and costumes.”
The collaboration between the cinematographer, production designer, and VFX team is crucial to the success of any project, and ‘Monsier Aznavour’ was no exception. Goyvaerts emphasised the importance of early and continuous communication. “We had an insane amount of sets to manage—around 60 to 70 in total. That meant multiple sets per day, so we had to prepare everything well in advance.”
One key collaborator was production designer Stephane Rozenbaum, whom Goyvaerts praised for being in sync from the start. “Stephane did an amazing job delivering all these wonderful sets. It was a pleasure working with him.”
The VFX team also faced significant challenges, from removing anachronisms to rejuvenating or aging characters. “They had to extend or create sets using matte paintings and 3D. I’ve worked with the CGEV team before, and I always make sure to communicate fully to help make their job easier—whether it’s through lighting or framing.”
For the production of ‘Monsier Aznavour’, Goyvaerts opted to shoot digitally due to the sheer amount of footage required. “We shot with the Arri Alexa LF Mini, mainly using single camera setups, although there were quite a few B-unit days,” he explained.
A long-time fan of Cooke lenses, Goyvaerts selected the Cooke S7/i series for this project to achieve a softer, more human look. “The large format with the Alexa LF enhanced the grandeur of certain locations and gave a modern contrast to the older periods. We shot mostly at f-stop 2.8 to avoid the overly shallow depth of field that I don’t generally prefer.”
For more intimate backstage and on-stage scenes, Goyvaerts switched to anamorphic lenses. Being an owner of a set of Cooke Anamorphic/i SF lenses, the Cinematographer selected these. “I wanted to be closer to the character, to show things from his perspective. We switched to S35 format to narrow the field of view and make it feel more intimate.”
While many sets were controllable, allowing Goyvaerts to create a carefully designed look, some challenges arose. “We had full control over the concert lighting, for example, and we aimed for realism. I sometimes overexpose windows to add to that sense of realism, and the Cooke S7s performed beautifully in these tests.”
Throughout the project, Goyvaerts gravitated towards specific focal lengths. “We shot the entire movie using the 32mm, 50mm, and 65mm. For the anamorphic scenes, my go-to lengths were 40mm and 50mm.”
Ultimately, the Director of Photography credits Cooke lenses for helping to create the desired balance between modernity and a soulful, human touch.
“The Cooke lenses gave me a look that felt most true to my personal taste. They’re technically excellent, reliable, and they provide the images with a softness that I love.”
Reflecting on the project, Goyvaerts acknowledged the crucial role of technology, including Cooke’s /i Technology, which allowed the team to capture lens metadata throughout the shoot. This data was invaluable to the VFX department in post-production. “The VFX team was thrilled with all the metadata we collected, and it made matching shots weeks later much easier.”
With a clear vision and collaboration, Goyvaerts brought ‘Monsieur Aznavour’ to life with a balance of modern technical precision and classic cinematic beauty.
‘Monsieur Aznavour’ is released today, 23 October, in France and Belgium.
