Dutch cameraman Hoyte van Hoyteman wins Oscar for cinematography on Oppenheimer

Dutch cameraman and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema won his first Oscar for his work on Oppenheimer. His was one of seven Oscars won by the blockbuster film about the father of the atomic bomb.

Van Hoytema thanked director Christopher Nolan and producer Emma Thomas in his acceptance speech. “You are by far the best thing that could have happened to my career,” he said. He also thanked his wife and daughter, Mia and Bonnie. “For keeping me sane and anchored through this wacky circus called filmmaking.”

He also advised aspiring filmmakers to shoot on real film, not digital. “To all the aspiring filmmakers out there, I would like to say: Please try shooting that incredible new hit thing called celluloid. It’s much easier, they think, and it makes things look so much better.”

Oppenheimer also won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Directing (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downy Jr.), Original Score (Ludwig Goransson), and Film Editing (Jennifer Lame).

Van Hoytema is the first Dutch cameraman to win an Oscar and the 11th Dutch person to get the award, NOS reports. The previous Dutchman to win an Oscar was animator Erik-Jan de Boer for Best Visual Effects in Life of Pi in 2013. This was Van Hoytema’s second Oscar nomination, after his work in Dunkirk also got him nominated in 2018.

Van Hoytema also won a BAFTA for his work on Oppenheimer.