Films › Cinematography
Roma
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, 2018
Cuaron shot it himself in 65mm digital black and white, working almost entirely in lateral pans and slow tracking moves at a fixed height. The choice removes conventional emphasis, so events at the edge of frame carry as much weight as those at the centre. Deep focus keeps the household and the street legible at the same time, making class a compositional fact. The Atmos sound mix does the pointing that the camera refuses to do. Cuaron operated the camera himself alongside a small crew, a decision that let him make framing choices on instinct during long blocking rehearsals rather than translating instructions to an operator. Sound designer Sergio Diaz built a full 3D soundscape keyed to off-screen space, since the picture so often withholds a close view of the event driving the scene. Production designer Eugenio Caballero reconstructed the Colonia Roma neighborhood from memory and archival photographs to street level accuracy, giving the wide lateral pans something worth holding on. This is a strong reference for any director considering shooting their own material rather than delegating the camera.
What to watch for
Watch the horizontal pans and count how often the camera declines to cut in for a close-up.
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