Bert Haanstra Lifetime Achievement Award for cameraman Robby Müller

Presentation by Ronald Plasterk, in the presence of, among others,
Wim Wenders and Jim Jarmusch

Tuesday evening, March 3, 2009, 8:00 PM (reception at 7:30 PM)
Paradiso, Weteringschans 6-8, Amsterdam.

The Bert Haanstra Lifetime Achievement Award, the largest Dutch film award worth 50,000 euros, will be presented to cinematographer Robby Müller on Tuesday evening, March 3, by Ronald Plasterk, Minister of Education, Culture and Science. The evening-long program will be graced by prominent extras with whom he worked closely, including Wim Wenders and Jim Jarmusch.

Robby Müller (1940) worked with Wim Wenders (Der Amerikanische Freund, Paris Texas), Jim Jarmusch (Down by Law, Dead Man, Ghost Dog), Lars von Trier (Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark), and Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People). His oeuvre numbers nearly ninety titles. Between 1962 and 1964, Müller studied cinematography and editing at the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam. In the Netherlands, he worked with, among others, Frans Weisz (Een zwoele Zomeravond, Hoogste tijd) and Erik van Zuylen (Opname).
He won the German Film Prize in Gold three times, and the Bavarian Film Prize once. He received the Golden Camera in 1984 for his cinematography in Paris, Texas. In 1988, he served as a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006, he became the first Dutch cinematographer to be honored with the Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Award in Lodz. Müller received the Golden Calf for the Culture Prize in 2007.
See the separate appendix for the complete oeuvre of Robby Müller.

The jury, consisting of Nelleke Noordervliet (chairperson), Johanna ter Steege, Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Emile Fallaux, and Rien Hagen, describes Müller’s work as being of undeniably high quality. “He is an unparalleled artist who handles light and darkness virtuously without merely shooting pretty pictures. The story and atmosphere of the film guide the images he creates. Like no other, he knows how to evoke an atmosphere or an era. Moreover, his work is always authentic; he has an unmistakable signature of his own. His talent has been recognized by major directors who have made their most acclaimed films with Müller.”

The Bert Haanstra Lifetime Achievement Award from the Netherlands Film Fund is being awarded for the fifth time. Previous winners are Bert Haanstra (1996) and directors Fons Rademakers (1998), Johan van der Keuken (2000), and Paul Verhoeven (2004).



How to respond / more information
You must log in to respond