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Gabriel Beristain

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Gabriel Beristain
Born
Luis Gabriel Beristáin

Mexico City, Mexico
NationalityMexican
Alma materInstituto Politécnico Nacional
National Film and Television School
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1983–present

Luis Gabriel Beristáin, ASC, BSC, AMC is a Mexican cinematographer, producer, and television director[1][2] known for his work on numerous well-known films including The Distinguished Gentleman, The Spanish Prisoner, Blade II, and Street Kings, and several entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe including the Agent Carter television series.[3]

He has collaborated with filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, Derek Jarman, David Mamet, and David Ayer. He is an active member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.[4]

Life and career

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Beristain was born in Mexico City, the son of actor Luis Beristáin.[5] His interest in filmmaking began with his involvement in Mexico's independent film scene in the seventies.[6] He studied Engineering at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, and later joined a new film studies program at the school, while also producing audiovisual training materials for the health department.

After filming a number of documentaries, he founded a small commercial production company, before moving to Italy in 1977. At the recommendation of director Sergio Leone, he relocated to the United Kingdom, where he enrolled in the prestigious National Film and Television School, which accepted only 25 students a year.[7] He was one of only five foreigners to be accepted into the school, and studied cinematography under Oswald Morris and Billy Williams.[8]

His first feature film as cinematographer was the 1983 Colombian horror film Bloody Flesh (Spanish: Carne de tu carne, "Flesh of Your Flesh"), for which he won the Best Cinematography Award at the Bogotá Film Festival. His work on Derek Jarman's 1986 film Caravaggio earned him a Special Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.[9] Beristain was one of several cinematographers on the 1987 anthology film Aria, which was nominated for a Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.[10] Allen Daviau suggested he move to Hollywood, where he could apply his talents and unique insight into both Mexican and Anglo cultures.[11] Beristain has been a member of the British Society of Cinematographers since 1990, and the American Society of Cinematographers since 2002.

While working in 2003's S.W.A.T., Beristain became friends with executive producer Louis D'Esposito, who after helping form Marvel Studios invited Beristain to do additional photography for Iron Man. He wound up in the same function in six other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and also served as cinematographer for the D'Esposito-directed Marvel One-Shot short films Item 47 (2012) and Agent Carter (2013), as well as the television series Agent Carter. Beristein would eventually have his first feature for the studio as cinematographer in 2021's Black Widow.[12]

Beristain had a son born in 1980 who lived in Austria and died 2000.

Influences

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Gregg Toland, Freddie Young, Emmanuel Lubezki, Roger Deakins[13]

Filmography

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Director

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Television

Year Title Notes
1996 Hidden Empire: Calling London TV movie; Also writer
2017–2019 MacGyver 3 episodes
2010 Hawaii Five-0 Episodes "When the Light Goes Out, the House is Dark" and
"A stranger only for a day"
2022 Eleven Days in Hell Pilot episode

Feature film

  • El grito (2000)
  • The Gentleman (2025)
  • Delirium the Origin of Evil (TBA)
  • Ya no quedan junglas adonde regresar (TBA)
  • Unquiet (TBA)

Short film

  • The Caddy (2021) (Also writer)
  • Largesse (2021)

Documentary film

Year Title Director Producer Writer Notes
TBA E.L.I Yes Yes Yes
Fidel Up Close Yes Yes No Co-directed with Roberto Chile and Eduardo Flores Torres

Cinematographer

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Film

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Year Title Director Notes
1983 Bloody Flesh Carlos Mayolo
1984 B'Yom Bahir Ro'im et Dameshek Eran Riklis Also credited as writer
1985 Christmas Present Tony Bicât
1986 Caravaggio Derek Jarman
1988 The Courier Frank Deasy
Joe Lee
Joyriders Aisling Walsh
1989 Venus Peter Ian Sellar
Killing Dad or How to Love Your Mother Michael Austin
1990 Waiting for the Light Christopher Monger
1991 K2 Franc Roddam
1992 The Distinguished Gentleman Jonathan Lynn
1993 Blood In Blood Out Taylor Hackford
Fatal Instinct Carl Reiner
1994 Greedy Jonathan Lynn
1995 Dolores Claiborne Taylor Hackford
1997 Trial and Error Jonathan Lynn
The Spanish Prisoner David Mamet
1998 Tale of the Mummy Russell Mulcahy
1999 El cometa José Buil
Marisa Sistach
Molly John Duigan
2002 Blade II Guillermo del Toro
2003 S.W.A.T. Clark Johnson
2004 Blade: Trinity David S. Goyer
2005 The Ring Two Hideo Nakata
2006 The Shaggy Dog Brian Robbins
The Sentinel Clark Johnson
2007 The Invisible David S. Goyer
2008 Street Kings David Ayer
2009 Princess Kaiulani Marc Forby
2010 And Soon the Darkness Marcos Efron
2011 There Be Dragons Roland Joffé
2021 Black Widow Cate Shortland
2024 The Beekeeper David Ayer
Harold and the Purple Crayon Carlos Saldanha
2025 The Gentleman Himself
TBA Dime Detective Betty Kaplan

Short film

Year Title Director Notes
1987 Aria Bill Bryden Segments "Turnadot" and "I pagliacci"
2010 Ka'iulani: Crown Princess of Hawai'i Roy Tjioe Documentary short
2012 Item 47 Louis D'Esposito Marvel One-Shots
2013 Agent Carter
2021 You'll Be Happy Here Brenda Victoria Castillo

Television

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Miniseries

Year Title Director Notes
1987 Lost Belongings Tony Bicât
1988 Troubles Christopher Morahan
1991 The Orchid House Horace Ové
2024 Washington Black Wanuri Kahiu 1 episode

TV series

Year Title Director Notes
1998 I'm Telling You for the Last Time Marty Callner TV special;
Sequence "The Funeral"
2010 Hawaii Five-0 Len Wiseman Episode "Pilot"
2012–2013 Magic City Carl Franklin
Ed Bianchi
Simon Cellan Jones
Nick Gomez
Clark Johnson
David Petrarca 		11 episodes
2014 The Strain David Semel
Peter Weller 		4 episodes
2015 Agent Carter Louis D'Esposito
Joe Russo
Scott Winant
Stephen Cragg
Peter Leto
Stephen Williams
Vincent Misiano
Christopher Misiano 		Season 1
2016–2018 MacGyver 22 episodes
2022 Monarch Jason Ensler Episode "Stop at Nothing"

TV movies

Year Title Director
2002 The Legacy Jim Gillespie
2015 Exit Strategy Antoine Fuqua

Awards and nominations

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References

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  1. ^ "GABRIEL BERISTÁIN". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  2. ^ "Close up: Gabriel Beristain, Cinematography". OConnor. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  3. ^ "Gabriel Beristain | Shooters Films USA". Retrieved 2019-10-20.
  4. ^ "About". www.gberistain.com. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  5. ^ "About". www.gberistain.com. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  6. ^ "GABRIEL BERISTÁIN". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  7. ^ "GABRIEL BERISTÁIN". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  8. ^ "GABRIEL BERISTÁIN". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  9. ^ "About". www.gberistain.com. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  10. ^ "ARIA - Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  11. ^ "GABRIEL BERISTÁIN". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  12. ^ "'Black Widow' Cinematographer Gabriel Beristain Featured in THR's 'Behind the Screen'". The Hollywood Reporter. July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  13. ^ "The ASC -- American Cinematographer: ASC Close-Up". theasc.com. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  14. ^ "CIFF Announces Programming Highlights For 2021 Film Festival". Coronado Eagle & Journal | Coronado News | Coronado Island News. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
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