Daniel Lubetzky

This video about my cousin Emmanuel’s cinematography literally moved me to tears.  The humanity within every one of his shots, the fragility and beauty these convey about our human condition and the world we inhabit are so humbling, so poetic, so powerful.  Emmanuel, aka “Chivo”, has won two Oscars thus far and just got nominated for a third.  He turns movies into the most emotive art.  His imagery moves and stirs one’s soul as if watching the most beautiful sunset. And he has the ability to turn a banal breath into an enigmatic contemplation of sorrow and pain.

When we were little, I remember noticing him as he contemplated and photographed an army of ants on a wall as my other cousins wrestled  one another.  If you pay attention when you watch the movie, you will capture a shot he took of warring ants that says so much, particularly knowing of Emmanuel’s artistic journey, where everything is captivating and wondrous.I also remember as a kid how he would always show a noble spirit, protecting my sister when others were teasing her, and inviting me to be part of his sports team when I was starting to feel sad because other kids wouldn’t pick me (yes, I was a kind of clumsy soccer player).  It is amazing to see how this little kid grew to be such an epic observer of nature and such a wizard of light.