Tomislav Pinter
(Zagreb, June 16, 1926 - Zagreb, August 15, 2008)
Pinter is the most important Croatian cinematographer, in regards to the artistic achievements of his numerous films as well as the received awards. After graduating from high school he enrolled in the painting department at the Zagreb Art Academy (1946). Beginning in 1945 he worked at Jadran film (working in the laboratory and other departments, assisting the cinematographer Hrvoje Sarić). He became an independent cinematographer in 1948 when he filmed pieces for the monthly movie digest. His first documentary was made in 1951 (Radi onoga jutros by Radenko Ostojić) and his first feature film, Mala Jole directed by Nenad Fulgosi, four years later. Unfortunately, this film was never finished so his first complete movie was Kota 905 by Mate Relja in 1960. Following this he became the Croatian cinematographer with the greatest number of films made anywhere in the former Yugoslavia, as well as internationally. He had always aspired to the highest professional standards of film cinematography (lighting design, selection of lenses, composition of the frame, expression with colors and well thought out camera movement) but was willing to experiment, such as in films by Vatroslav Mimica, Goran Rušinović and others. It is hard to decide which films from his huge opus (about 90 feature films, 100 short films, 10 television series…), including 28 feature films that he made in Croatia, are the most important. It is impossible to briefly mention all the characteristics of Pinter’s opus, but one cannot omit how in Mimica’s Prometeju s otoka Viševice (1965) he used lower light sensitivity (10 ASA) with which he achieved a documentary photographical structure and suggested a time leap in the plot. In Rondo (Zvonimir Berković, 1966) he used directed diffused lighting and functional composition of the frame that successfully showed the internal life of the characters. In Breza (Ante Babaja, 1967) the artistic composition of each frame is attained with the use of different lenses (narrow and wide), filming in cloudy weather and with saturated colors, thus evoking the art of Croatian naďve painting on film.
Pinter’s opus is comprised of films made in modest productions as well as big spectacles (Bitka na Neretvi, Veljko Bulajić, 1969), in which he always adjusted his cinema style to the needs of the film. Important films: Abeceda straha (Fadil Hadžić, 1961), Dvostruki obruč (Nikola Tanhofer, 1963), Pravo stanje stvari (Vladan Slijepčević, 1964) Prometej s otoka Viševice (Vatroslav Mimica, 1965), Ponedjeljak ili utorak (V. Mimica, 1966), Put u raj (Mario Fanelli,1970), Timon (Tomislav Radić, 1973), Mećava (Antun Vrdoljak, 1977), Samo jednom se ljubi (Rajko Grlić, 1981), Kiklop (Antun Vrdoljak, 1982), Đavolji raj (Rajko Grlić, 1989), Svaki put kad se rastajemo (Lukas Nola, 1994), Svjetsko čudovište (Goran Rušinović, 2003). He received numerous awards, among which the most important ones are: two annual Vladimir Nazor awards (1966 and 1982) and the Vladimir Nazor life’s work award (1989), eight Golden Arenas from the Pula Film Festival and the Milton Manaki life achievement award.
Work as a cinematographer:
Crveno i crno (2006)
Libertas (2006)
Kontakt (2005/I)
The World's Greatest Monster (Svjetsko čudoviste, 2003)
Mokus (2000)
Anđele moj dragi (1996)
Carmen (1995)
Each Time We Part Away (Svaki put kad se rastajemo, 1994) (TV)
Landslide (1992)
Luka (1992)
Memories of Midnight (1991) (TV)
Praznik u Sarajevu (1991)
Artificial Paradise (Umetni raj, 1990)
Silent Gunpowder (Gluvi barut, 1990)
That Summer of White Roses (Đavolji raj, 1989)
The Meeting Point (Sabirni centar, 1989)
Intrigue (1988) (TV)
A Night of Love (Manifesto, 1988)
Crusoe (1988)
The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission (1988) (TV)
Destroying Angel (1988)
Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission (1987) (TV)
The Girl (1986)
Hey Babu Riba (1986)
Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)
Od petka do petka (1985)
The War Boy (1985)
Mask of Murder (1985)
Dediščina (1984)
In the Jaws of Life (U raljama života, 1984)
Die Nacht der vier Monde (1984)
O pokojniku sve najlepše (1984)
Kako se kalio narod Gornjeg Jaukovca (1984) (TV)
Timočka buna (1983)
Twilight Time (1982)
Kiklop (1982)
Montenegro (1981)
You Love Only Once (Samo jednom se ljubi, 1981)
Gazija (1981)
See You in the Next War (Doviđenja u sledećem ratu, 1980)
Hajduk (1980)
Petria's Wreath (Petrijin venac, 1980)
Search (Iskanja, 1979)
The Return (Povratak, 1979)
Journalist (Novinar, 1979)
Roko i Cicibela (1978) (TV)
Love in the 11th (Ljubav u jedanaestoj, 1978) (TV)
Round Trip (Tamo i natrag, 1978)
Ko zorijo jagode (1978)
Snowstorm (Mećava, 1977)
Daredevil's Time (Hajdučka vremena, 1977)
Zadnja šolska naloga (1977) (TV)
The Widowhood of Karolina Zasler (Vdovstvo Karoline Zasler, 1976)
Private Vices and Public Virtues (Vizi privati, pubbliche virtů, 1976)
The House (Kuća, 1975)
Pavle Pavlović (1975)
Steppenwolf (1974)
Fear (Strah, 1974)
View from the Loft (Pogled iz potkrovlija, 1974)
The Battle of Sutjeska (Sutjeska, 1973)
Timon (1973)
Drveni sanduk Tomasa Vulfa (1973) (TV)
Death of a Stranger (Tod eines Fremden, 1973)
Instant Success (Nokaut, 1971)
The Gamblers (1970)
Jedanaesta zapovijed (1970)
The Way to Paradise (Put u raj, 1970)
The Ravine (La cattura, 1969)
The Battle of the River Neretva (Bitka na Neretvi, 1969)
The Merchant of Venice (1969) (TV)
The Birch Tree (Breza, 1967)
Happy Gypsies (Skupljači perja, 1967)
Četvrti suputnik (1967)
Roundabout (Rondo, 1966)
Monday or Tuesday (Ponedjeljak ili utorak, 1966)
Čovik od svita (1965)
Ključ (1965)
Three (Tri, 1965)
Prometej s otoka Viševice (1964)
Službeni položaj (1964)
Pravo stanje stvari (1964)
Double Circle (Dvostruki obruč, 1963)
Rana jesen (1962)
Abeceda straha (1961)
Point 905 (Kota 905, 1960)