As a town we’re used to our most famous sports team winning wooden spoons in whatever competition they’re in, but today as Torquinians we can be proud that one of our own has won the most celebrated award available to film makers.
After 14 nominations, Torquay’s own Roger Deakins has won the Academy Award for best cinematography for his work on Blade Runner 2049.
Having had an illustrious career where he has worked on classics such as The Shawshank Redemption, Skyfall and a number of Cohen Brothers films, it’s actually very surprising that this is the first time he has won the award.
Deakins thanked Torquay Online during his speech and mentioned how us starting up the day before he won the award was no coincidence.
In reality, Accepting his Oscar, Deakins said: “I really love my job.”
He graciously continued: “One of the reasons I really love it is because of the people I work with in front of and behind the camera.”
His win means he’s the first person from Torquay since Agatha Christie (who wasn’t actually from Torquay) to win anything noteworthy. Hopefully he inspires a new generation of winners from here.
Roger’s impressive filmography.
Year Film Director
1983 Another Time, Another Place Michael Radford
1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four Michael Radford
1984 Return to Waterloo Ray Davies
1985 Defence of the Realm David Drury
1985 Shadey Philip Saville
1986 Sid and Nancy Alex Cox
1987 Personal Services Terry Jones
1987 White Mischief Michael Radford
1988 Pascali’s Island James Dearden
1988 Stormy Monday Mike Figgis
1988 The Kitchen Toto Harry Hook
1990 Air America Roger Spottiswoode
1990 Mountains of the Moon Bob Rafelson
1990 The Long Walk Home Richard Pearce
1991 Barton Fink Ethan & Joel Coen
1991 Homicide David Mamet
1992 Passion Fish John Sayles
1992 Thunderheart Michael Apted
1993 The Secret Garden Agnieszka Holland
1994 The Hudsucker Proxy Ethan & Joel Coen
1994 The Shawshank Redemption Frank Darabont
1995 Dead Man Walking Tim Robbins
1996 Courage Under Fire Edward Zwick
1996 Fargo Ethan & Joel Coen
1997 Kundun Martin Scorsese
1998 The Big Lebowski Ethan & Joel Coen
1998 The Siege Edward Zwick
1999 Anywhere but Here Wayne Wang
1999 The Hurricane Norman Jewison
2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? Ethan & Joel Coen
2001 A Beautiful Mind Ron Howard
2001 Dinner with Friends Norman Jewison
2001 The Man Who Wasn’t There Ethan & Joel Coen
2003 House of Sand and Fog Vadim Perelman
2003 Intolerable Cruelty Ethan & Joel Coen
2003 Levity Ed Solomon
2004 The Ladykillers Ethan & Joel Coen
2004 The Village M. Night Shyamalan
2005 Jarhead Sam Mendes
2007 In the Valley of Elah Paul Haggis
2007 No Country for Old Men Ethan & Joel Coen
2007 The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Andrew Dominik
2008 Doubt John Patrick Shanley
2008 Revolutionary Road Sam Mendes
2008 The Reader Stephen Daldry
2009 A Serious Man Ethan & Joel Coen
2010 The Company Men John Wells
2010 True Grit Ethan & Joel Coen
2011 In Time Andrew Niccol
2012 Skyfall Sam Mendes
2013 Prisoners Denis Villeneuve
2014 Unbroken Angelina Jolie
2015 Sicario Denis Villeneuve
2016 Hail, Caesar! Ethan & Joel Coen
2017 Blade Runner 2049 Denis Villeneuve
2019 The Goldfinch John Crowley
2019 The Goldfinch John Crowley
