Blog Jérôme de Gerlache sharing his experience on “Dakar Chronicles” with EZ Series

Hello Jerome, can you please tell us about yourself, what brought you to collaborate on this project and how was it born?

I am a director and cinematographer. On most of my projects, I take on both roles, but I remain very open to collaboration, especially when the artistic ambition or visual proposal are appealing to me. Applying my perspective to another universe, engaging with a different sensibility, is an approach that enriches me. It was in this spirit that I joined the DAKAR project, following a meeting with Philippe Savine, one of the film’s producers, who introduced me to Jalil Lespert. The project, in development for several years, had a strong ambition: to move away from the expected codes of sports documentaries to offer a more intimate, more embodied approach. Jalil wanted to capture the cinematic power of the rally while remaining faithful to sensitive documentary writing, with a genuine author’s perspective.

Andy Collet, with whom I shared the direction of photography, joined us a month before the race to strengthen the team. The aim was to follow several drivers simultaneously, in highly mobile documentary filming configurations, and later notably outside and inside the vehicles or during on-board sequences. Andy, more experienced than me in these sports film-like setups, naturally took charge of these sequences. For my part, I focused on the documentary aspect of the project, more centered on human stakes, which I particularly enjoy filming.

What were the artistic expectations and guidelines for this project?

The intention was clear: to break away from the classic codes of the racing documentary – heavy effects, clipped editing, emphasis on action – to move towards a built-up staging, with almost fictional overtones. The film was shot in 2.35 format, with an initial desire to explore it in black and white. I suggested using Angénieux EZ and Optimo DP lenses, which seemed particularly suitable for this quest for a balance between documentary flexibility and cinematic outcome.

The filming was mainly done with three cameras. Before the race, I used an Alexa Mini LF equipped with EZ1 and EZ2 zoom lenses in large format. During the race, I switched to an Alexa 35 in Super 35. Pierre Assénat, on the second camera, was equipped with an Amira with Optimo DP lenses. Andy Collet and Vincent Ricci used a Mini LF with the EZ lenses, and an Amira with the Optimo DP lenses, respectively. The visual writing carried by Jalil relied on shot/reverse shots and wide shots, intended to embed the drivers in the landscapes they were crossing. The lenses had to allow this spontaneity without ever sacrificing aesthetic requirements. The EZ, in large format and S35, quickly became essential: their flexibility, compactness, and rendering close to fixed lenses were valuable assets, especially in confined spaces such as camper vans.

It seems that the project was divided into two feature films. Can you explain the nuance between these two projects?

Yes, there are actually three versions of the film. The first, conceived as an auteur film, adopts a more contemplative pace, with a very polished aesthetic—one in color and one in black and white— carried by an original song by M83. It closely follows the inner journey of the pilots. The second, intended for a broader audience, offers a more direct narrative. Both versions draw on the same documentary material, but develop different tones.

You mentioned using Angénieux lenses; which ones were they and why were they chosen?

We mainly used two types of Angénieux zooms, provided by RVZ Paris: Two pairs of EZ1 and EZ2 (for the Mini LF and Alexa 35) Two pairs of Optimo DP (for the Amira) This combination of lenses allowed us to maintain aesthetic coherence throughout the shooting, despite the diversity of places, lights, and configurations. The constant aperture and rendering consistency were decisive criteria. Andy Collet shot the scenes in the desert and onboard footage, in line with the aesthetic and technical continuity defined with Jalil. In addition to Optimo DP, he also used a 28-340 and a 45-120, rented from Indie Rent in Lyon, particularly well-suited to the constraints of filming in motion. Personally, I particularly appreciate the EZ lenses paired with Arri sensors: they offer a marked image density, with a rendering close to fixed focal lengths, while retaining precious shooting flexibility in such a dynamic environment.

What were the filming conditions in the desert and how did the lenses react?

The conditions turned out to be wetter than expected: rain, dust, sand, significant temperature variations between day and night. Despite this, the lenses perfectly held up. We encountered no mechanical or condensation issues. Their robustness was a major asset throughout the shoot.

Do you have any filming anecdotes to share?

A whole week of rain in Saudi Arabia remains a memorable experience. We had to protect the cameras, manage logistics, and avoid getting bogged down with all this mud… In conditions very far away from what we had anticipated.  

Another intense sequence: a day in a helicopter with Sébastien Loeb. We witness a flat tire live, then descend to join him on the ground to film the repair. Tension, frustration, concentration: it was all there, captured in the moment, in a total immersion. These are the moments that give the film its density and inner rhythm.

Finally, I want to acknowledge and thank the work of the entire camera team: Andy Collet, with whom I share the cinematography signature and who took charge of the onboard shots inside the vehicles and race footages; Pierre Assénat, faithfully by my side on the first unit; Vincent Ricci, Andy’s partner; as well as Léo Essertel and Anthony Boivin, first camera assistants, and Marie Guedon, our data manager, whose support was invaluable throughout the entire shoot.