A Sensitive & Distinct Point of View

View Evelin van Rei's portfolio

With a background in fine art and art history, and a first class BA (Hons) at the Cambridge School of Art, it was here that Dutch-born cinematographer and photographer Evelin van Rei fell in love with the aesthetic tradition of film.

We spoke to Evelin about her work, what inspires her and her next steps:

Fabrik: What would you like to be working on in the future? Where you’d like to see yourself working - Features? Commercial? Any specific genre?

Evelin van Rei: "As a cinematographer, I’d like to have established a solid commercial reel, with regular and strong collaborators. Foremost, I’d love to be shooting narrative feature projects with visionary directors, challenge our perspectives, and push boundaries. Art-house, cult, drama, sci-fi, thriller, fantasy. As a photographic artist, I’d love to keep shooting and exploring, and publish my work in magazines, publish my own book(s), and exhibit globally."

Fabrik: Any advice you’d like to impart on your craft to directors and DOP’s going into the field, especially women? You are engaged in the #TimesUp dialogue and we would love to have your insight.

Evelin van Rei: "The greatest lesson a woman should learn is that since day one, she already has everything she needs within herself. It's the world that convinced her she did not. She does not need a hero. She's her own. She does not need to accept being treated differently, being (sexually) harassed, assaulted or discriminated against because she is a woman. She can create her own reality; she can do anything she thinks she can!"

"The greatest lesson a woman should learn is that since day one, she already has everything she needs within herself."

Fabrik: There is a narrative that connects your work as a cinematographer and that of a photographer. Do you embark in projects having a conversation between these two disciplines in mind? What is the process?

Evelin van Rei: "Irrespective of creating still or moving images, for me, telling the story by inducing feelings and emotions lies at the heart of it. My instinct guides my visual expression as I strive for my images to have a clear point of view of the world. Images that carry a personality and a distinct style, as an artist might have their own voice."

"I love to capture life in an eternal and intriguing way, and foremost, I am a lover of art, and very sensitive to the aesthetic tradition of film."

"I am a lover of art, and very sensitive to the aesthetic tradition of film."

Fabrik: Anything you’re working on at the moment that you can share, or any sort of personal directions you’re embarking on that serve your career?

Evelin van Rei: "A personal direction I’m embarking on that will serve not only my career, but also and more importantly, myself, is to prioritise and take responsibility for my physical and mental health. What if we recharged ourselves as often as we did our phones? I’ve just discovered Hologenic and Yumeiho therapy, as well as TRE (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises), which is fascinating. I am part of a community of young people, who practice mindfulness together, and volunteer with gardening at a local park."

It is Evelin's enduring belief that a creator’s work should be intrinsically linked to the existing social context and world affairs. The perceptions and beliefs of equality, patriarchy, duress and mental health are present in her early works, and carve a path of self-discovery, change and awareness.

She has been vocal about her support of the #TimesUp movement and is spearheading the conversation on the way the industry is exposing and discussing issues once considered as taboo. Evelin’s aim as an artist and creator is to cut through the red tapes with sensitivity and sensibility and shed light to once unspoken predicaments, perpetuated through complex and perhaps invisible societal webs over the course of the years.

She has worked on commercial films for iconic brands such as Nike, On Running, Carling, Kent & Curwen, The National Lottery and Virgin Atlantic, and her work on the feature film 'A Street Cat Named Bob’ has been recognized in the National Film Awards in 2017. Evelin is also prolific in the realm of short films, having received recognition at the BFI London Film Festival, and Underwire Festival among others. She is also the recipient of this year’s Frēsh18 Carbon Award in Cinematography and the Carbon Award in Portraiture photography.

Evelin is using Canvas, a feed-style theme featuring a sidebar and layout options aimed at providing more control over the placement of text and images. A great choice for portfolios that require images to be displayed uncropped or in portrait format

View Evelin van Rei's portfolio

Imagery © Evelin van Rei 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this page may be reproduced without written permission.