Weekly Commentary (Updated Nov. 7, 2023) : In cinematography, few names shine as brightly as any cinematic scene shot by Oscar-nominated D.P. Rodrigo Prieto. With a career spanning over two decades, Prieto has established himself as a masterful artisan by offering his unique blend of technical expertise, artistic vision, and a deep understanding of storytelling. After three high-profile noms for “Brokeback Mountain” (2005), “Silence” (2016) and “The Irishman” (2019) — the first two he should have arguably won — his double dose of camera work this year could put him in contention for his overdue statuette.
On Artistic Endeavors in the Church
A friend recently asked me for my thoughts on the role of art within the church. Here they are. Hopefully you will not find them an utter waste.
In my particular strand of the Christian faith (basically “evangelical/non-denominational”) we have historically kept the arts at a distance except for music used in worship services. As a result, we’ve been art-poor for most of our history.
The self-imposed artistic poverty has shown in our architecture (boring), services, clothing, music (I won’t even mention our attempts at movie-making — wow it’s been bad), etc.
Now, many of our churches are exploring the other side of the coin.
While we sat in our boring buildings on Sundays, the culture became much more centered around sophisticated visual design. At the same time, the ability to capture the attention of a group of people has become more elusive with seemingly ever present high-quality spectacles of sports, movies, concerts, and politics.
Some leaders of various churches realized the growing separation between their art-devoid communities of faith and the larger society around them. They further realized that this gap led to fewer and fewer people outside the church finding what was going on inside the church of interest or having meaning in their lives.
As a result, many churches have tried to close the artistic gap between themselves and the broader culture. Unfortunately, I believe that for the most part, we have simply co-opted the techniques of others without serious thought about the nature of art and its purposes beyond a rather simplistic and purely utilitarian approach to remain “relevant”.
Let’s attempt to journey beyond simplistic thinking together in the next few paragraphs.
What is art?
Even in asking such a broad questions, I know that my answer will come up short. But I offer my answer as a starting point for others to build upon and repair.
A rt: The creative expression of human beings that arises in response to their experiences of God, each other, and the created universe. Generally, thought of in terms of music, literature, and visual media.
The image of God is reflected in the very existence of the artist. They, like God, bring forth from within what has not existed before.
Unlike God, of course, human artists are not truly creating from nothing. Rather, we create in response to what has already been created — by God or by others.
One note which may seem quite self-evident to those outside the church but not necessarily to those within it. Art is not only about God. It is also about our experiences of each other and the rest of the created order. It does not have to be directly about God to be good.
This statement of course begs the next question…
What’s it like navigating the world as a Māori and Pākehā woman?
I’m navigating the world being mixed and learning how to decolonize the spaces around me. Researching Aotearoa’s history of colonization and how Māori have been treated throughout the years have been critical to my journey of self-discovery.
At times, I find myself filled with rage when I think about the effects of colonization on the Indigenous community. All you can do is learn to heal from the generational trauma and find ways to contribute positively to your community.
What gives me strength is knowing that there are many people who relate with this identity crisis. It’s good to know you are not alone on this journey.
How would you describe your art style and creative process?
I would describe my drawing style as highly feminine, simple, and colorful. It’s got a magical element though. I want to enforce the notion that, as boring or normal as you might feel, you are still a magical being.
Being both Māori and Pākehā, I often highlight the complexity of being part of two worlds. My art can be very emotional and often comes from moments of extreme panic, love, or obsession over something beautiful and interesting. Recently, Māori goddesses and wahine (women) have been a huge inspiration.
I also write poetry. When I was younger, I wanted to illustrate my own books, so I drew and wrote all the time. When I’m confused and distressed, I write poetry. When I’m in pain and want to try and make sense of it all, I draw. It’s a great way to navigate the identity crisis that I feel on a daily basis.
Tell us about a time you used art to uplift your community.
Last year, I photographed a land rights event in Auckland. It was an opportunity for me to stand in solidarity with our community and write poetry around this emotional event. It not only taught me what it means to be part of a community as a part Māori and Pākehā woman, but also how far Aotearoa has to go to reclaim what’s rightfully ours.
And the Predicted Nominees Are:
- “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) — Hoyte van Hoytema
- “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures) — Rodrigo Prieto
- “The Zone of Interest” (A24) — Łukasz Żal
- “Saltburn” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Linus Sandgren
- “Ferrari” (Neon) — Erik Messerschmidt
- “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures) — Robbie Ryan
- “Napoleon” (Apple Original Films/Sony Pictures) — Dariusz Wolski
- “Maestro” (Netflix) — Matthew Libatique
- “Barbie” (Warner Bros.) — Rodrigo Prieto
- “El Conde” (Netflix) — Edward Lachman
Other Top-Tier Possibilities
- “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.) — Dan Laustsen
- “Air” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Robert Richardson
- “Society of the Snow” (Netflix) — Pedro Luque
- “The Killer” (Netflix) — Erik Messerschmidt
- “Past Lives” (A24) — Shabier Kirchner
- “The Iron Claw” (A24) — Mátyás Erdély
- “Origin” (Neon) — Matthew J. Lloyd
- “The Taste of Things” (IFC Films/Sapan Studio) — Jonathan Ricquebourg
- “The Holdovers” (Focus Features) — Eigil Bryid
- “All of Us Strangers” (Searchlight Pictures) — Jamie D. Ramsay
- “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon) — Simon Beaufils
- “May December” (Netflix) — Christopher Blauvelt
- “Rustin” (Netflix) — Tobias A. Schliessler
- “Asteroid City” (Focus Features) — Robert Yeoman
- “Dream Scenario” (A24) — Benjamin Loeb
- “The Creator” (20th Century Studios) — Greig Fraser, Oren Soffer
- “Priscilla” (A24) — Philippe Le Sourd
- “American Fiction” (MGM) — Cristina Dunlap
- “John Wick Chapter 4” (Lionsgate) — Dan Laustsen
- “Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures) — Federico Cantini
All Eligible Titles (Alphabetized by Studio)**
- “The Bikeriders” (20th Century Studios) — Adam Stone **
- “A Haunting in Venice” (20th Century Studios) — Haris Zambarloukos
- “The Creator” (20th Century Studios) — Greig Fraser, Oren Soffer
- “Beau is Afraid” (A24) — Pawel Pogorzelski
- “Dream Scenario” (A24) — Benjamin Loeb
- “The Iron Claw” (A24) — Mátyás Erdély
- “Past Lives” (A24) — Shabier Kirchner
- “Priscilla” (A24) — Philippe Le Sourd
- “Showing Up” (A24) — Christopher Blauvelt
- “The Zone of Interest” (A24) — Łukasz Żal
- “Air” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Robert Richardson
- “The Burial” (Amazon Studios) — Maryse Alberti
- “Cassandro” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Matías Penachino
- “Foe” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Mátyás Erdély
- “Saltburn” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Linus Sandgren
- “Fingernails” (Apple Original Films) — Yorgos Zafeiris
- “Flora and Son” (Apple Original Films) — John Conroy
- “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures) — Rodrigo Prieto
- “Napoleon” (Apple Original Films/Sony Pictures) — Darius Khondji
- “Golda” (Bleecker Street) — Jasper Wolf
- “Asteroid City” (Focus Features) — Robert Yeoman
- “The Holdovers” (Focus Features) — Eigil Bryid
- “A Thousand and One” (Focus Features) — Eric K. Yue
- “Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures) — Federico Cantini
- “BlackBerry” (IFC Films) — Jared Raab
- “Monica” (IFC Films) — Katelin Arizmendi
- “The Taste of Things” (IFC Films/Sapan Studio) — Jonathan Ricquebourg
- “Memory” (Ketchup Entertainment) — Yves Cape
- “Story Ave” (Kino Lorber) — Eric Branco
- “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (Lionsgate) — Tim Ives
- “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (Lionsgate) — Jo Willems
- “John Wick Chapter 4” (Lionsgate) — Dan Laustsen
- “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Marvel Studios) — Henry Braham
- “The Marvels” (Marvel Studios) — Sean Bobbitt
- “American Fiction” (MGM) — Cristina Dunlap
- “Bottoms” (MGM/Orion) — Maria Rusche
- “The Boys in the Boat” (MGM) — Martin Ruhe
- “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” (MGM) — Ed Wild
- “Creed III” (MGM) — Kramer Morgenthau
- “Landscape with Invisible Hand” (MGM) — Lyle Vincent
- “Fallen Leaves” (Mubi) — Timo Salminen
- “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon) — Simon Beaufils
- “Eileen” (Neon) — Ari Wegner
- “Ferrari” (Neon) — Erik Messerschmidt
- “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” (Neon) — Tehillah De Castro
- “La Chimera” (Neon) — Hélène Louvart
- “Origin” (Neon) — Matthew J. Lloyd
- “Perfect Days” (Neon) — Franz Lustig
- “The Royal Hotel” (Neon) — Michael Latham
- “The Deepest Breath” (Netflix) — Tim Cragg
- “El Conde” (Netflix) — Edward Lachman
- “Fair Play” (Netflix) — Menno Mans
- “The Killer” (Netflix) — Erik Messerschmidt
- “May December” (Netflix) — Christopher Blauvelt
- “Maestro” (Netflix) — Matthew Libatique
- “Nyad” (Netflix) — Claudio Miranda
- “Rebel Moon” (Netflix) — Zack Snyder
- “Reptile” (Netflix) — Michael Gioulakis
- “Rustin” (Netflix) — Tobias A. Schliessler
- “Society of the Snow” (Netflix) — Pedro Luque
- “Dungeons & Dragons” (Paramount Pictures) — Barry Peterson
- “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount Pictures) — Fraser Taggart
- “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (Paramount Pictures) — Kent Seki
- “Elemental” (Pixar) — David Juan Bianchi, Jean-Claude Kalache
- “All of Us Strangers” (Searchlight Pictures) — Jamie D. Ramsay
- “Chevalier” (Searchlight Pictures) — Jess Hall
- “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures) — Robbie Ryan
- “Theater Camp” (Searchlight Pictures) — Nate Hurtsellers
- “Dumb Money” (Sony Pictures) — Nikolas Karakatsanis
- “Freud’s Last Session” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Ben Smithard
- “Persian Version” (Sony Pictures Classics) — André Jäger
- “Shadya” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Sherwin Akbarzadeh
- “The Teachers’ Lounge” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Judith Kaufmann
- “Fast X” (Universal Pictures) — Stephen F. Windon
- “M3gan” (Universal Pictures) — Peter McCaffrey
- “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) — Hoyte van Hoytema
- “She Came to Me” (Vertical Entertainment) — Sam Levy
- “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (Warner Bros.) — Don Burgess
- “Barbie” (Warner Bros.) — Rodrigo Prieto
- “Blue Beetle” (Warner Bros.) — Pawel Pogorzelski
- “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.) — Dan Laustsen
- “Wonka” (Warner Bros.) — Chung-hoon Chung
- “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Warner Bros.) — Phedon Papamichael
- “The Little Mermaid” (Walt Disney Pictures) — Dion Beebe
2022 category winner : “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Netflix) — James Friend
** indicates an unconfirmed release date in 2023 or could campaign in the lead or supporting categories. All release dates are subject to change.
