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“Canon CN-E primes were my base lens package. Theyhaveamazingcolourandgreatvisualquality”
And a good story requires good characters. On the topic of his subjects, Sarbil notes that it “takes determination, patience and respect”. He adds: “The only way to get great access is to build a relationship with your subject, as trust is the most important factor. During filming, I try not to be too intrusive, to give the characters enough space and to be calm around them. The magic is when you disappear into the background. “My background as a paratrooper has left me with a skill set that definitely helps me towork inhostile environments but I’m not drawn to war, I’m drawn to the story.” Giving the orders Sarbil shot Mosul alone, only collaborating with his co-creators upon his return to London. “I was alone. The soldiers and I were facing snipers, drone attacks, suicide bombers night and day, I could never switch off. Mosul was by far the toughest filming I’ve ever done,” he says. When asked about shooting On The President’s Orders alongside co-director James Jones, Sarbil describes theirrelationshipas“adynamicpartnership withno ego clashes”. Bothmen approached the filmwith a desire to “show a side of the story thathadn’t reallybeenseenbeforeand to get inside the heads of the cops who’d been accused of being behind the killings”. Again, the cinematic quality of the film came down to a combination of intention and gear. For the documentary’s unsettling wide shots, Sarbil used the CN-E 14mm. “Visually, we wanted to film the documentary in the style of a thriller with a tense and atmospheric look,” he explains. “We wanted to keep themood of the film dark and sinister with carefully composed imagery. I usedwide lenses to help build the darkmood of the filmand to try andmake the audience feel uncomfortable.” Canon’s CN lenses ensured the filmmakerswereabletocapturetheirvision. Ultimately, thesemoody, night-time city scenes coupled with an undeniably thrilling storymay just havemade for Sarbil’s best work to date.
beautifullysharp.”Whenshootingrequired a change of pace, Sarbil returned to a trusted favourite. “For the run-and-gun shooting, I wanted to place the viewer in among the action, so I picked up the Canon EF-S 17-55mm again,” he says. It appears Sarbil is broadening his horizons further still, and the possibility of his most visually stunning work yet is promising. “I’ve purchased the new Canon C700 FF,” he says. “I’m impressed with its performance and versatility, and like the ability to switch between sensor sizes in-camera, from full-frame to Super 35 to Super 16. The C700 FF has a great dynamic range and beautiful colour reproduction. I find it easy to operate handheld as it is well balanced on the shoulder and lightweight, considering its size. I can’t wait to put it through its paces on my next projects.” Behind the camera Make no mistake, though, the impressive visuals of Sarbil’s documentaries do not account for the entire content of the films, and the stories he tells are as compelling as any. In his own words, “The most important factor of a documentary is simply the story. Without a good story, you don’t have a film.”
BELOW Olivier Sarbil (left) and co-director James Jones (right) shooting On The President’s Orders . For the unsettling wide shots, the Canon CN-E 14mm lens was used
More information
oliviersarbil.com canon.co.uk
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