Alberta’s Award-Winning Light

By  by Julie Hanus
Published on April 9, 2010

<p>Start digging into where films nominated for “best cinematography” were shot, and a bit of a theme begins to emerge: Alberta, Alberta, Alberta. This is no coincidence, Kim Gray writes in our May-June issue: <a href=”https://www.utne.com/arts/albertas-magic-hour-best-cinematography.aspx” target=”_blank”>The province possesses spectacular natural light</a>–capable of transforming all it touches into a visual feast, and inspiring filmmakers, photographers, artists, architects, and residents alike.</p>
<p>As far as films go, Terrence Malick’s <i>Days of Heaven</i> (1978) won the province one of its first Academy Awards for cinematography. Many awards and nominations would follow: <em>Unforgiven</em> (1992), <em>Legends of the Fall</em> (1994), <em>Brokeback Mountain</em> (2005), <em>The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford</em> (2007), to name a few. Check out the following trailers and clips to get a peek at what Gray calls “the marvel of Southern Alberta light.”</p>
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