Agnès Godard, a renowned French cinematographer, was born on May 28, 1951. She is widely recognized for her prolonged and fruitful collaboration with acclaimed filmmaker Claire Denis. Throughout her illustrious career, Godard has received numerous accolades, including a prestigious César Award.
Initially, Godard pursued a degree in journalism, but she soon shifted her focus to film after several years. She graduated from La Femis, formerly known as IDHEC, in 1980. Her inaugural project as a cinematographer was the 50-minute Room 666, a television production directed by Wim Wenders. It was during this project that she first met Claire Denis, who was serving as Wenders' assistant director at the time.
Throughout the 1980s, Godard worked as an assistant camera operator or focus puller on various films directed by esteemed filmmakers such as Wenders, Joseph Losey, Peter Greenaway, and Alain Resnais. Additionally, she served as the director of photography on a short film helmed by legendary cinematographer Henri Alekan.
Godard's first collaboration with Denis was the director's debut feature, Chocolat, where she functioned as the camera operator. Since 1990, Godard has been Denis' regular cinematographer, having worked together on numerous projects, including a documentary about Nouvelle Vague filmmaker Jacques Rivette, which was produced for the French television series Cinema, de Notre Temps.
