11 Cinematographers Who Became Great Directors

8) Freddie Francis

It ought to be clear by now that the British film industry of the period around the 60s and 70s is comparable to a possible trend within Mexican cinema today, where cinematographers were likely to try their hand at directing, and vice versa. As mentioned earlier, Freddie Francis served as Jack Cardiff’s cinematographer on Sons and Lovers, and indeed earned an Academy Award for his work. Just like Wally Pfister, he followed his Oscar victory with an opportunity to direct, but was never able to match his success as a cinematographer, although his horror films have since gained a cult following.

Like Jack Cardiff before him, Francis returned to photography after years as a director, but found far more success in his return than Cardiff did. His first comeback film was The Elephant Man, which earned him a BAFTA nomination. He went on to shoot David Lynch’s Dune, and then five years later earned his second Oscar for his cinematography in Glory.

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