Biography

Tetsuo NAGATA was born in Nagano, Japan. He moved to Tokyo, continued his studies and immediately became interested in cinema, especially French cinema, and organised a Movie Club at the Franco-Japanese Institute in Tokyo.
In 1972 he left for France to study at the University of Paris VIII, Cinematography section.
In 1975 he returned to Japan and worked as an Assistant Operator with the Director of photography, H. Segawa ( LA FEMME DE SABLE - H. Teshigahara) on several films. This experience made him work with Toho and Toeï Studios.

In 1982 he decided to move to Paris. He met Riccardo Aronovich and became his assistant.
He continued to work with different French productions for feature films and advertisements.
In 1988 he decides to launch himself as Director of Photography.

Until 1995, Tetsuo Nagata worked mainly on advertising films, music videos and short movies. He collaborated with
Jean Pierre Jeunet, Jan Paul Rappeneau, Jan Kounen , Jean Baptiste Mondino and many others.
Tetsuo Nagata worked on his first feature film as Director of Photography with Rock Stephanik: "STAND BY" (Best Film at the World Film Festival in Montreal, Grand Prize in Kiev, Best Actress César...).

He then met François Dupeyron and with him, made two films: "C'EST QUOI LA VIE" (Grand Prize at the Festival of San Sebastian) and "LA CHAMBRE DES OFFICIERS" (Official Selection at Cannes Festival). For the second film, Tetsuo Nagata, received a César, in 2002, for Best Photography.
From that point on his career was spent between France and abroad. He shot "RIDERS" in Canada with the French director Gérard Pirès and "BLUEBERRY" in Mexico with Jan Kounen.
He returned to his native Japan for the film "UNTIL THE LIGHT COME BACK" with the director Takashi Minamoto, and then he met Vincenzo Natali, a Canadian film-maker, with whom he shot a sequence of the film ''PARIS JE T''AIME'' and "SPLICE" which is set to be released in cinemas in 2009.
His work with the director Olivier Dahan on the film "LA VIE EN ROSE" earned him his 2nd César on the 22nd of February 2008.

2008 : César Best Cinematographer - "LA VIE EN ROSE"
2002 : César Best Cinemathographer - "LA CHAMBRE DES OFFICIERS"
2016 : Nominated Best Cinematography - Japanese Academy Award -" KAINAN 1890"

FIMOGRAPHY :
2022 EMERGENCY
2021 DHAAKAD
2015 KAINAN 1890
2012 RUSSENDISKO
2010 LEONIE
2010 SPLICE
2009 MIC MAC A TIRELARIGOT
2007 LA VIE EN ROSE
2006 PARIS JE T AIME
2006 ANIMAL
2005 UNTIL THE LIGHT COME BACK
2004 NARCO
2004 BLUEBERRY
2003 LAISSE TES MAINS SUR MES HANCHES
2002 RIDERS
2001 LA CHAMBRE DES OFFICIERS
2000 C'EST QUOI LA VIE
1999 STAND BY
1998 LE DERNIER CHAPERON ROUGE