Following Films Podcast: SHANTARAM Cinematographer Stefan Duscio

Today I’m joined by cinematographer Stefan Duscio to discuss his latest work, the Apple TV+ series, Shantaram.

Based on the internationally best-selling novel by Gregory David Roberts, the 1980s set drama follows a fugitive who escapes prison and reinvents himself as a doctor in the slums of Bombay.

Shantaram is the first Apple TV series that uses anamorphic lenses and frame in a 2.40 aspect ratio. When shooting the series Duscio pursued smooth camera movement and widescreen anamorphic because in his own words, “I wanted you to fall in love with Bombay, and unashamedly present it in a romantic way."

Duscio teamed up with production designer Chris Kennedy (Lion) for visual research into 1980s India. In addition to the novel, inspiration for the visual language and aesthetic came from a plethora of art that included street and fashion photography, National Geographic content, and per Duscio, "feelings of travel, wanderlust and philosophy."

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