Héctor Ríos

Personal Info

Known For Camera

Gender Male

Birthday 1927-11-23

Deathday 2017-03-15 (89 years old)

Place of Birth San Antonio, Valparaiso, Chile

Also Known As Héctor Ríos Henríquez

Héctor Ríos

Biography

Héctor Ríos was one of the most important names in Chilean cinema in its history. Héctor Ríos is remembered for his transcendental work as director of photography in major films such as El Chacal de Nahueltoro, Los Testigos and La Frontera. Films where his work behind the lens was fundamental to his praised results. In addition, in partnership with Pedro Chaskel, he directed three important documentaries: Aquí vivieron (1964) Venceremos (1970) and Entre ponerle y no ponerle (1971); plus a short film with illustrations called Érase una vez (1965). All of them were works with a deep interest in making cinema an art that reflected social injustices with a conscious and transforming zeal. Born in the port of San Antonio on November 23, 1927, Héctor Ríos studied electronics at the Universidad Técnica del Estado during the 1950s. Unsatisfied, he drifted almost spontaneously to photography and lighting, obtaining a scholarship that allowed him to go to Italy and be admitted to the prestigious Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia di Roma, where the influential Italian neo-realism was boiling. With such training and a wealth of experience he returned to the country to join the incipient documentary movement that was stirring up the waters of filmmaking in the early 1960s. In 1964 he entered the Universidad de Chile's film department where he directed several documentary works, before making the work that would make him famous in 1968: the photographic direction of The Jackal of Nahueltoro. After continuing to work on various documentaries of the time and on feature films with directors such as Charles Elsseser (Los Testigos) and Raúl Ruiz (La Colonia Penal), the 1973 military coup forced him into exile. He first went to Peru where he filmed El enemigo principal with Jorge Sanjinés, a great Bolivian filmmaker and one of the greatest in the continent. Later he would settle for a decade in Venezuela where he developed a wide professional work in long and short films and also as a teacher. He published his only book there, Técnica fotográfica en el cine. Back in Chile, he returned to the foreground with the photography of La Frontera, Ricardo Larraín's first film, where he now makes clear his mastery of color filmmaking. Again he works with Raúl Ruiz in the film El Infierno and directs two new documentaries, one dedicated to his friend the late actor Pepe Duvauchelle and the other to the admired writer Francisco Coloane. In the 1990s he added his teaching work in the country, which he had previously divided between Peru, Cuba and Colombia. His workshops quickly became a point of reference for young people interested in photography. In 2007 he was recognized with the Pedro Sienna Award to the trajectory. In 2008 he undertook a long and tiring journey through Europe to film a series of four episodes for television dedicated to the work of Leonardo, under the direction of Vittorio di Girolamo. In January 2011, Ríos de luz was released, a short documentary film dedicated to his work, made by filmmaker Magali Meneses. His last years were dedicated to teaching in the region of Valparaiso, where he stayed to live and where he died, the morning of March 15, 2017 at his home in Viña del Mar.

Known For

Camera

2017
The Wandering Soap Opera

as Camera Operator

2017
The Wandering Soap Opera

as Director of Photography

2011
Street Theatre, My Captain

as Director of Photography

1998
El hombre que imaginaba

as Director of Photography

1997
Brigada Escorpión

as Additional Photography

1997
Brigada Escorpión

as Director of Photography

1997
Laberinto

as Camera Operator

1997
Laberinto

as Director of Photography

1991
The Frontier

as Director of Photography

1991
A TV Dante (Cantos 9 to 14)

as Director of Photography

1980
Manoa

as Director of Photography

1979
Portable Country

as Director of Photography

1978
The Company Forgives a Moment of Madness

as Director of Photography

1977
Colonial Times

as Director of Photography

1976
A Tame Song for a Brave People

as Director of Photography

1974
The Principal Enemy

as Director of Photography

1973
Descomedidos y chascones

as Camera Operator

1972
Caperucita

as Director of Photography

1972
Caperucita

as Camera Operator

1971
Pintando con el pueblo

as Director of Photography

1971
Entre ponerle y no ponerle...

as Director of Photography

1971
The Witnesses

as Director of Photography

1971
It's Not Time to Cry

as Director of Photography

1970
Venceremos

as Director of Photography

1970
Jackal of Nahueltoro

as Director of Photography

1970
The Penal Colony

as Director of Photography

1970
El fin del juego

as Director of Photography

1969
Child Undernourishment

as Director of Photography

1969
Testimony

as Director of Photography

1967
1965
El Analfabeto

as Director of Photography

1965
Érase una vez

as Director of Photography

1965
Angelito

as Director of Photography

1965
Abortion

as Director of Photography

1964
Yo tenía un camarada

as Director of Photography

1961
Deja que los perros ladren

as Camera Department Manager

Crew

1972
No nos Trancarán el Paso

as Cinematography

1971
The Witnesses

as Photoscience Manager

1970
The Penal Colony

as Photoscience Manager

1969
Herminda de la Victoria

as Cinematography

Director

1970
Venceremos

as Director

1965
Érase una vez

as Director

1964
Aquí vivieron

as Director

Writer

1965
Abortion

as Writer

Producer

1964
Aquí vivieron

as Producer