EMMANUEL LUBEZKI

One of the most innovative and influential cinematographers in contemporary film.

Our world is fragile, beautiful. Sometimes we forget. This edition highlights six artists and activists who are committed to change. My process begins in dialogue. How do you want to be photographed and where? My job is to translate their vision into images. Each image contains a personal secret, an evocation.our locations across the globe were impacted by climate change. The shoots exposed us to alarming realities: glacial lakes that disappeared overnight, roads hot enough to melt tires. It made me terribly aware of how desperately we need the voices of these activists. Their work challenges us, creates community, makes us readier for the world’s beauty, stronger against its dangers. Ice is nearly gone, kelp has taken over the oceans. It is our duty as artists, as creators, as businesses, to bring these truths to the forefront and address them. And to celebrate those working for change, and to join them, as Ben Harper sings — with our own two hands. Thank you, Lavazza, for inviting me on this journey.

About the photographer

Born in Mexico, Emmanuel Lubezki is one of the most innovative and influential cinematographers in contemporary film. Widely known for his use of natural lighting and continuous uninterrupted shots, Lubezki won three consecutive Academy Awards for his work on Gravity, (2014) Birdman, (2015) and The Revenant (2016). He brings this same mastery of natural light and composition to his work as a still photographer. In 2019, he shot the cover for Vanity Fair magazine’s Hollywood issue — a first for a cinematographer. An inveterate traveler, making portraits has always been a passion for Lubezki, more deeply connecting him to the world and its mysteries. Like his celebrated moving images, hissive and poetic. While galleries clamor for his photographic work, he often posts quietly on Instagram, where he’s won a large following.