
Director Sarah Polley's feature Women Talking about a group of women in an isolated Mennonite community in 2010 who share refuge in a hayloft while weighing their colony's future has been much lauded since premiering at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival and is now nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars. Despite its intimate setting, the movie may well be the most epic collaboration to date between Polley and cinematographer Luc Montpellier, CSC, following previous partnerships that include the features Away From Her and Take This Waltz.
To bring visual form to the weight shouldered by the women onscreen, Montpellier and Polley embraced large-format cinematography, employing Panavision's 1.6x-squeeze Ultra Vista anamorphic optics and Millennium DXL2 camera, all sourced through Panavision's Toronto location. The cinematographer recently shared his insights into crafting the intimate drama's visual language.
Panavision: How did you and Sarah Polley go about defining the movie's visual style?
Luc Montpellier, CSC: We began with the premise that the women in the film are in the process of dismantling an old world and creating a new one. They are contemplating a seismic shift in both their circumstances and their interior lives as they deal with what their faith means now that the structures they have been living within have revealed themselves to be corrupted.
It was important for the imagery in the film to mirror the weight of this seemingly impossible decision. The desaturated palette and large-format anamorphic photography was intended to provide the gothic imagery necessary to support the idea of unwavering faith, and how the traditions of this colony can be suffocating yet beautiful. The shifting of daylight into dusk underscores the limited time in which their life-altering decision must be made and was intended to create visual tension as the light slowly disappears and the women could be discovered plotting at any moment.
Did you find inspiration in any particular visual references?
Montpellier: We really tried to use our instincts on what felt right for the film. It is such an emotional story, it was important to constantly check-in with ourselves and to never underestimate the value of that in our choices.
We did look at Larry Towell's Mennonite photography. Each powerful image Larry takes is full of emotion and leaves the viewer to interpret their own story.
How did you come to collaborate with Panavision for Women Talking?
Montpellier: Panavision has been an integral part of my creative process as a cinematographer since the very beginning of my career. I simply know I will find the right recipe for any given film based on the vast array of tools they offer all over the world. Their expertise and creative thinking regarding optics is unmatched anywhere else.
What drew you to the DXL2 camera and Ultra Vista lenses?
Montpellier: It was important to Sarah and me that the film feel epic in scope without the sharpness associated with digital cinematography. The Ultra Vistas provided us with an image that took advantage of the shallow depth of field of large-format photography and the legacy characteristics of Panavision anamorphics. We instantly had an emotional reaction to the lenses' soft edges and their native de-squeezed ratio of 2.76:1 on the DXL2. This aspect ratio allowed us to intimately unite the women in every frame in the loft and to capture the majestic colony exteriors that remind us of what these women are fighting for.
What sets Women Talking apart from other projects in your career?
Montpellier: Women Talking is the most important project I have ever had the privilege of photographing. I have never been part of another film that has instigated so much conversation after the credits roll. This is a rare thing and is truly addictive as a filmmaker.
What inspired you to become a cinematographer and what keeps you inspired today?
Montpellier: I always escaped to the movies as a kid; I found so much comfort in that. I was also curious about the inner working of things. It was only later, in film school, that I discovered a connection between these things and felt drawn to cinematography. I became very interested in how cinematography can serve a story in just the right way. I also discovered the films of Stanley Kubrick I could feel his mastery behind the lens.
What keeps me inspired today is a great script and a great director. Nothing beats a creatively safe environment where collaboration is celebrated.
Europe Stories
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
04/07/2025
The Summer Reading Challenge has inspired children across the U.K. to embrace a ...
04/07/2025
Friday 4 July 2025
Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8
Further...
04/07/2025
The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...
03/07/2025
For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...
03/07/2025
One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit!
Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit!
Our i...
03/07/2025
The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...
03/07/2025
What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London!
We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography.
A huge thank ...
03/07/2025
ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode
Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...
03/07/2025
** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Exp...
03/07/2025
Thursday 3 July 2025
David Harewood and Matthew Broome in Mozart: Genius for Hi...
03/07/2025
The Sky WNT Fund supports Womens National Team players with a 30,000 bursaryThursday 3 July 2025
Sky Ireland has announced the four recipients of the 2025 Sky...
02/07/2025
Calrec expands ecosystem at NAB 2025 giving broadcasters access to dynamic workflows and ultimate flexibility Helping broadcasters meet the shifting needs of me...
02/07/2025
02 Jul 2025
VEON Raises USD 200 Million in Private Bond Placement Dubai, July 1, 2025: VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON ), announces ...
02/07/2025
Brand new factual series follows mechanic and self-taught engineer Dom Chinea as he makes the move of his life to the far west of Cornwall
UKTV today announces...
02/07/2025
Rohde & Schwarz acquires ZES ZIMMER Electronic Systems GmbH and expands its T&M ...
02/07/2025
Wuppertal July 2, 2025
Riedel Communications Launches RefSuite Ecosystem for S...
02/07/2025
Andrew will serve as Chair of ABC alongside his role at NED, APL Media, where he supports the executive team with strategic insight and global expansion plans. ...
01/07/2025
The launch of Code of Silence, coupled with the Britains Got Talent semi final, gave ITV its best Sunday night of 2025.
The first episode of the new crime dr...
01/07/2025
ITV and Mammoth Screen have announced the start of filming for Betrayal, a gripp...
01/07/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
01/07/2025
Vocal-processing plug-in joins NOIZ Hub series
Launched in 2024, KIT Plugins' NOIZ Hub series was created with the aim of providing a range of professio...
01/07/2025
New self-paced learning programme announced
Mastering.com have announced the availability of a new online course designed to cover the fundamentals of maste...
01/07/2025
The Traitors are coming: Get your first taste of the global hit as Season 1 of T...
01/07/2025
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for the verification of...
01/07/2025
RT has announced that Teresa Smith has been appointed Commissioning Editor with responsibility for Factual Entertainment following a public competition. This s...
01/07/2025
This July, RT is delighted to support Galway International Arts Festival, Earagail Arts Festival in Donegal, Belfast TradFest and 23 other arts and cultural ev...
30/06/2025
There's nothing quite like the magic of finding music that feels made just f...
30/06/2025
When it comes to new music, Spotify's team of editors across North America is always on the hunt for songs that make them feel, think, and move. They're...
30/06/2025
Star Studded Ensemble Cast Are Joined by Richard Rankin as Filming Begins on the Second Season
[June 12, 2025 - Boston, MA]: The Forsytes, Debbie Horsfield...
30/06/2025
Eurorack sequencer module reimagined
California-based modular synth innovators Qu-Bit have announced the launch of a new module that offers a fresh new take...
30/06/2025
Improved dynamic behaviour, improved audio quality & more
Techivation have announced the release of an upgraded edition of their very first premium plug-in,...
30/06/2025
German premiere with live flight demonstration: German industry team showcases e...
30/06/2025
The Focusrite Summer Sale is now on Don't miss unbeatable deals on Scarlett, Vocaster, and more.
Whether you're an artist, a producer, or a podcaste...
30/06/2025
All 8 episodes of Season 1 of 1923 will be available on RT Player from Tuesday ...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
52% report AI security spending is displacing tr...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Cannes, June 30th, 2025 - Thales Alenia Space, t...
29/06/2025
Handpan-inspired instrument announced
Roland have announced the launch of the Mood Pan, a unique electronic hand percussion instrument that has been designe...
28/06/2025
Music theory plug-in updated
Three months on from the release of the latest version of their renowned music theory plug in, Scaler Music have launched an up...
27/06/2025
K-Pop remains one of the biggest genres globally, and many fans just can't get enough of it. That's why Spotify has launched a new series of K-Pop perf...
27/06/2025
In our latest blog post, Rafael Rivera highlights the rising threat of online scams, and the important role cybersecurity plays in protecting families across ge...
27/06/2025
From grounded realism to bending, impossible geometries
Klevgrand have announced the release of a new algorithmic reverb plug-in which they say deconstruct...
27/06/2025
Learn to use REW for room analysis
Acoustic treatment is one of the most important factors in any studio, and with the extensive range of products available...
27/06/2025
Second edition of parallel clipper plug-in announced
Soundtheory have announced the launch of Kraftur Focus, a new edition of their parallel clipper plug-in...
27/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales, a global high-tech leader, and Kongsberg...
27/06/2025
Friday 27 June 2025
Combination of RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to create a unique proposition in entertainment, sports ...
26/06/2025
Bilbao Linz, June 26th 2025 - AgileTV, a European leader in TV and video technology solutions, has signed an agreement this week with the Austrian telco LIWES...
26/06/2025
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has resolved, based on the decisions ma...
26/06/2025
Three new entry-level models introduced
Catering to everything from casual listening to professional content creation, KRK's new Kreate Series monitors ...