Ahead of the theatrical release of Digger, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the film’s distinctive use of VistaVision took centre stage at a special session hosted at Whistling Woods International. Cinematography students had the opportunity to attend a screening of the film, followed by a masterclass conducted by faculty members, with Digger used as a case study to explore the format and its application. Shot entirely in VistaVision, the film marks a rare contemporary use of the large-format filmmaking technique, with Iñárritu and his team using specially crafted lenses to shape

On the creative thinking behind Digger, Alejandro G. Iñárritu has shared insights into the film’s visual language, its use of VistaVision and his collaboration with cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki. Speaking about the visual language of Digger, Alejandro G. Iñárritu said, “Films usually tell you exactly where to look. We tried to do the opposite—everything is telling the story, rewarding your curiosity. Every corner of each frame is alive. Nothing is in there without a reason. You can wander through the image, because sometimes the most important thing is quietly happening in a corner, waiting to be noticed. Our design, frames and colour temperatures were inspired by classical painters: Hammershøi, McNeil, Whistler, Vermeer and Rembrandt. Las Meninas of Velázquez. I had hundreds of images of these paintings in my office and Chivo and I studied deeply.”

Speaking about working with cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki and the decision to shoot Digger in VistaVision, Alejandro G. Iñárritu said, “Chivo is a brother, a friend and a collaborator of 35 years—the first time I shot with him I was 28 years old. He is an artist and I can’t think of anybody who better understands the nature of light and photography at that level. We had determined to use VistaVision, which is very complicated, and for the first time ever, Chivo and I were allowed to mount the new wide vintage Leica lenses, designed specifically for the film, to achieve the effect we needed visually. Everything looks different through VistaVision, so it was a challenging and complex shoot. I’ve always said that big format doesn’t matter, and then I go with this format, however, we did something contrary to the reason VistaVision was made by having a 1:5 ratio, and it’s a beautiful thing. It’s scale.”

Iñárritu directed from a screenplay by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Oscar winners Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman, from a story by Iñárritu and Berman. The film is produced by Iñárritu, Oscar nominee Mary Parent, Tom Cruise and Michael Sharp, and executive produced by Joshua Grode, Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, Jez Butterworth and Emmanuel Lubezki.

Also Read: Alejandro Iñárritu Reveals The Unusual Journey Behind Tom Cruise’s Digger