Remi Adefarasin's name may not be as widely recognised as those of the actors in front of his camera, but the cinematographer left an indelible imprint on almost thirty film and television productions during the 1980s and 90s.
Adefarasin first made his mark in British television in the early 80s. His collaboration with director Mike Leigh yielded a variety of productions, including Grown Ups, Home Sweet Home and Four Days in July. From his work with Leigh, Adefarasin went on to act as cinematographer for a number of British television programs, including the 1988 miniseries Christabel, which was co-written by the legendary Dennis Potter and starred an obscure young actress by the name of Elizabeth Hurley.
During the 1990s Adefarasin expanded his repetoire, continuing to lend his vision to such made-for-TV movies as The Lost Language of Cranes (1991) and The Buccaneers (1995), but also working with directors such as Anthony Minghella on the wry and touching Truly, Madly, Deeply (1992). In particular, the late 1990s saw Adefarasin act as cinematographer for a number of high profile works, including the harrowing Hollow Reed (1996), Peter Howitt's Sliding Doors (1998), Elizabeth (1998) (for which he was nominated for a slew of awards, including an Oscar, and won a British Academy Award), and the Fiennes family odyssey Onegin (1999). In addition, Adefarasin was able to collaborate again with Minghella on The English Patient (1996) as one of the directors of photography responsible for giving the sands of the Sahara their unforgettable golden fire.
