Dick Pope

A cinematographer with a portfolio that included many atmospheric and engrossing movies, Dick Pope quietly became the go-to director of photography for smart, sophisticated cinema. Born in Kent, England in 1947, Pope's first foray into his craft came as a child when his father bought him a Brownie box camera. The young Pope enjoyed the visual artistry that came from shooting portraits of his friends and family, as well as the technical aspect of his new hobby. When it came time to think about a career, Pope got a word of advice from his uncle who worked for the BBC, suggesting that he try his hand as a cameraman for film and television. Pope began training at Pathé Film Laboratory in London, and was soon cutting his teeth on low budget productions for 'B' movies and low level TV productions. An experience that Pope would later recount as among the toughest and most rewarding in his early career came in 1974, when he traveled to a remote island off the coast of Sumatra to document the traditional lifestyle of the Sakuddei tribe for the documentary series "Disappearing World" (ITV, 1970-1993). Working in such a remote location with such complex gear was a trial by fire, but ultimately, the process was extremely rewarding for the young cameraman. In 1975, Pope caught a break photographing several episodes of the documentary series "World in Action" (ITV, 1963-1998), which helped him secure gigs shooting shows like "Whoops Apocalypse" (LWT, 1982). Another milestone for Pope came in 1985, when he shot the music video for Freddie Mercury's popular song "The Great Pretender." Soon, Pope was shooting feature films, developing a professional relationship with director Mike Leigh starting with "Life is Sweet" (1990) that would span decades. Throughout the '90s, the two would continue to collaborate on films like "Naked" (1993), "Secrets & Lies" (1996), and the acclaimed Gilbert and Sullivan biopic "Topsy-Turvy" (1999). Soon, Pope was being tapped by other indie-minded filmmak