Biography
Carlo Varini was a Swiss cinematographer. Born in Ascona, Ticino, in 1946, he trained at the Schwarz-film studio in Ostermundigen and studied film at the arts academy in Zurich. In the 1970s he worked as assistant to cinematographer Renato Berta on numerous Swiss feature films, including works by Alain Tanner and Daniel Schmid.
Varini settled in Paris in 1978. He shot Luc Besson’s debut feature Le Dernier Combat (1983), followed by Subway (1985) and The Big Blue (1988); the latter two brought César nominations for best cinematography. Later credits include The Chorus (2004). He was a professor at La Fémis and a member of the Association Française des Cinématographes. Varini died in a fire in Cathervielle, France, in 2014.
