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Henri Alekan

Henri Alekan

Cinematographer · Died June 15, 2001, aged 92 · Paris, France

Henri Alekan (10 February 1909, Paris – 15 June 2001, Auxerre, Bourgogne) was a French cinematographer. Alekan was born in Montmartre in 1909. At the age of sixteen he and his brother became travelling puppeteers. A little later he started work as third assistant cameraman at the Billancourt Studios. He then spent a short time in the army, returning to Billancourt in 1931. In the late 1930s he was the camera operator to Eugene Shufftan on Marcel Carné's Quai des Brumes and Drôle de drame. He was greatly influenced by Schufftan's non-naturalistic style. His first success as a director of photography was René Clément's realistic war drama La Bataille du Rail of 1946. In the same year he worked on Jean Cocteau's fable La Belle et la Bête. He found himself out of sympathy with the French New Wave cinema which emerged in the late 1950s and Alekan shot some rather conventional films in Hollywood. A new generation of directors appreciated his visionary style, however, and he worked with Raúl Ruiz on The Territory and On Top of the Whale, with Joseph Losey on Figures in a Landscape and The Trout, and with Wim Wenders on The State Of Things and Wings of Desire. His last films were made with the Israeli director Amos Gitai. He wrote one of the best books about cinematography Des lumières et des ombres (1984, Éditions du Collectionneur). Alekan died from leukemia on 15 June 2001 in Auxerre, Bourgogne, aged 92. Source: Article "Henri Alekan" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 10, 1909
Died
June 15, 2001 (aged 92)
From
Paris, France
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 84 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 60% in 30 days

What are Henri Alekan's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
25%
Morality
24%
Power
20%
Survival
14%
Self
7%
Society
5%
Ideas
4%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom5 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 8 · Dark 12

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 14 · Intense 7

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 19 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 19 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 19 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 12 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 19 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Melancholic
13
Romantic
9
Contemplative
6
Dread
6
Other
18

How their films linger

Unsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Henri Alekan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Henri Alekan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

84 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 13 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Faraway, So Close!(1993)

    as Captain

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Golem: The Petrified Garden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Cinematographer

  • Golem, the Spirit of Exile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Cinematographer

  • paint'o jazz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer

  • Birth of a Golem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • Cézanne: Conversation with Joachim Gasquet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • J'écris dans l'espace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Cinematographer

  • Berlin-Jerusalem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Cinematographer

  • Wings of Desire(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Esther(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • A Strange Love Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • Wundkanal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Cinématon XXXIV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as N°330

  • Our Nazi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer · as Self

  • A Stone in the Mouth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Cinematographer

  • The Beautiful Prisoner(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • En rachâchant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • The Trout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • The State of Things(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • On Top of the Whale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • The Territory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Cinematographer

  • La Dame de Monte-Carlo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Cinematographer

  • The Divisions of Nature (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • Gun Moll(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Red Sun(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Figures in a Landscape(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Fun and Games for Everyone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Cinematographer

  • The Christmas Tree(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Ici et maintenant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Cinematographer

  • Mayerling(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Triple Cross(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Poppy Is Also a Flower(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Lady L(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Topkapi(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Story of Rebecca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Cinematographer

  • The Other Christopher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Cinematographer

  • Five Miles to Midnight(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Tales of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • Black Tights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Cinematographer

  • Princess of Cleves(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Battle of Austerlitz(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Great Deception (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • Douze heures d'horloge(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Rodin's Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • The Magic of the Kite (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Would-Be Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Paris Casino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • The Case of Dr. Laurent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Typhoon Over Nagasaki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • The Best Part (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Heroes and Sinners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Camera Operator

  • Frou-Frou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Queen Margot(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Impure Ones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Roman Holiday(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • When You Read This Letter(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Julietta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Cinematographer

  • Forbidden Fruit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Three Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Stranger on the Prowl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer · as Priest on Bicycle

  • Parigi è sempre Parigi(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Trip to America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Juliette, or Key of Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Just Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • Marie of the Port (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • The Lovers of Verona(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Such a Pretty Little Beach(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Anna Karenina(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Woman of Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Cinematographer

  • The Damned(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Beauty and the Beast(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Battle of the Rails(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Little Ones of the Flower Platform (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Cinematographer

  • Les Chevaux du Vercors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Camera Operator

  • Ceux du rail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Blind Venus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • The Musicians of the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Cinematographer

  • The Shanghai Drama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Assistant Camera

  • Port of Shadows(1938)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Hatred(1938)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • La Danseuse rouge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Street of Shadows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Assistant Camera

  • Life Is Ours(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Fanny(1932)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 83 titles from 1932 to 1993.

Biggest box office

Wings of Desire (1987)

$3.6M worldwide

Highest rated

Roman Holiday (1953)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 83: 2 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting1 of 83: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleCinematography74 of 83: 72 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thOther crew7 of 83: 7 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s7 · crew1940s12 · crew1950s24 · 1 acting · 24 crew1960s14 · crew1970s5 · crew1980s15 · 1 acting · 14 crew1990s6 · 1 acting · 5 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Henri Alekan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 32; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th10

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 32 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · cinematographer

Esther (1986)

77th percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Roman Holiday (1953)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 78/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 63. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Henri Alekan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 21 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles14–43 · median 23 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 32 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Henri Alekan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Henri Alekan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Terence Young shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers