Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw opened up about an impactful scene she shot in the movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Arkapaw landed the gig when Ryan Coogler’s frequent collaborator and her friend, DP Rachel Morrison, had a scheduling conflict and was unavailable to work on the sequel to the 2018 hit.
“When Rachel found out that she was unable to shoot Panther 2, she brought my name up,” explains Durald Arkapaw, who like Morrison is an AFI grad. “Obviously, I was already interested. But after speaking to Ryan and meeting him, it just solidified that for me, because he’s a very special individual.”
When Arkapaw was approached, the titular star Chadwick Boseman had passed away and the script for the sequel was reworked. Rather than recasting the role of T’Challa/Black Panther, the filmmakers decided to pay tribute to the late actor. “We would pay homage to him, and it would be very sensitive. I took it very seriously.”
On the visual style, she explained that she and Coogler wanted the lighting to feel natural and real.
Arkapaw reflected on shooting a particular scene as part of the end credits. SPOILER: Shuri (Letitia Wright) burns clothes and allows herself to grieve her brother. She then meets Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), who reveals that she and T’Challa had a son.
“Ryan and I wanted to [shoot] at the end of the day. That was the best light for the angle we wanted. And we got a little bit lucky; there was a lot of wind that day, and the trees were blowing. There wasn’t a ton of cloud cover. You got that nice, beautiful flare coming in the lens,” she shared.
“Their performance is so sensitive and beautiful. That’s one of the most impactful things I’ve ever shot, as far as everything timing out to be so beautiful and natural. And on a beach in Puerto Rico, where we’re watching the sunset right behind her …”
She further added, “It encapsulates what this movie is. It’s about family, and it’s about rebirth. It’s about trying to let go of grief, but it does stay with you, and sometimes you have to carry it with you, and you’re reminded of it. It’s one of the most beautiful endings I think I’ve seen.”
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