Nykvist, Sven Vilhem

▪ 2007

      Swedish cinematographer (b. Dec. 3, 1922, Moheda, Swed.—d. Sept. 20, 2006, Stockholm, Swed.), was hailed as “the master of light” for his unusually subtle, luminous camera work in the films of Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, with whom he collaborated on some 20 movies over a nearly 30-year period. Nykvist studied photography, worked as an assistant cameraman at the Swedish production company Sandrews, and spent a year at the Italian Cinecittà studios before becoming a cinematographer for Sandrews. He shot his first film in 1945 and his first for Bergman, Gycklarnas afton (The Naked Night, or Sawdust and Tinsel), in 1953. Bergman won the Academy Award for Jungfrukällan (1960; The Virgin Spring), which Nykvist photographed, and Nykvist later received Oscars for best cinematography for Bergman's Viskningar och rop (1972; Cries and Whispers) and Fanny och Alexander (1982; Fanny and Alexander). Nykvist also worked with directors Woody Allen, Lasse Hallström, Roman Polanski, Louis Malle, Bob Fosse, Norman Jewison, and Andrey Tarkovsky.

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