---
name: "Henri Alekan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/henri-alekan"
fi1m_id: "henri-alekan"
imdb_id: "nm0002162"
tmdb_id: 2307
wikidata_id: "Q958139"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "10 February 1909"
died: "15 June 2001"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 88
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-17T18:39:52.936323+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Henri Alekan

## Identity

Henri Alekan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/henri-alekan
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** henri-alekan
- **IMDb ID:** nm0002162
- **TMDB ID:** 2307
- **Wikidata ID:** Q958139
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Alekan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q958139, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002162/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2307

Cinematographer. Born 10 February 1909 in Paris, France. Died 15 June 2001.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 10 February 1909, Paris, France
- **Died:** 15 June 2001
- **Active:** 1953–1987
- **Also known as:** Henri Albert Alakan, H. Alekan, Henry Alekan, Henri Alékan
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 88 (1), 1980s 88 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Alekan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q958139, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002162/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2307

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Wings of Desire*](https://film.one/film/wings-of-desire.md) (88)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Henri Alekan was a French cinematographer. Born in Paris on 10 February 1909, he began working as an assistant cameraman in the early 1930s and later served as camera operator on Marcel Carné films including *Quai des Brumes* (1938).

His credits as director of photography include *Beauty and the Beast* (1946), *Roman Holiday* (1953), *Topkapi* (1964), *The State of Things* (1982) and *Wings of Desire* (1987). He also worked with directors such as Joseph Losey and Amos Gitai. Alekan wrote the book *Des lumières et des ombres* (1984).

He died on 15 June 2001 in Auxerre, France.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, encyclopedia.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Wings of Desire* (1987), Fi1m 88, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/wings-of-desire.md)
- *Roman Holiday* (1953), Fi1m 88, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/roman-holiday.md)

## Complete filmography (83)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Faraway, So Close!* (1993), as Captain
- *Golem: The Petrified Garden* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Golem, the Spirit of Exile* (1992), Director of Photography
- *paint'o jazz* (1991), Director of Photography
- *Birth of a Golem* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Cézanne: Conversation with Joachim Gasquet* (1990), Director of Photography
- *J'écris dans l'espace* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Berlin-Jerusalem* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Wings of Desire* (1987), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/wings-of-desire.md)
- *Esther* (1986), Director of Photography
- *A Strange Love Affair* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Wundkanal* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Cinématon XXXIV* (1984), as N°330
- *Our Nazi* (1984), Director of Photography
- *A Stone in the Mouth* (1983), Director of Photography
- *The Beautiful Prisoner* (1983), Director of Photography
- *En rachâchant* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The Trout* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The State of Things* (1982), Director of Photography
- *On Top of the Whale* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The Territory* (1981), Director of Photography
- *La Dame de Monte-Carlo* (1979), Cinematography
- *The Divisions of Nature* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Gun Moll* (1975), Director of Photography
- *Red Sun* (1971), Director of Photography
- *Figures in a Landscape* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Fun and Games for Everyone* (1969), Director of Photography
- *The Christmas Tree* (1969), Director of Photography
- *Ici et maintenant* (1969), Director of Photography
- *Mayerling* (1968), Director of Photography
- *Triple Cross* (1966), Director of Photography
- *The Poppy Is Also a Flower* (1966), Director of Photography
- *Lady L* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Topkapi* (1964), Director of Photography
- *The Story of Rebecca* (1964), Director of Photography
- *The Other Christopher* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Five Miles to Midnight* (1962), Director of Photography
- *Tales of Paris* (1962), Director of Photography
- *Black Tights* (1961), Director of Photography
- *Austerlitz* (1960), Director of Photography
- *The Great Deception* (1959), Director of Photography
- *Twelve Hours by the Clock* (1959), Director of Photography
- *Rodin's Hell* (1959), Director of Photography, Director
- *The Magic of the Kite* (1958), Director of Photography
- *Would-Be Gentleman* (1958), Director of Photography
- *Paris Casino* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Case of Dr. Laurent* (1957), Director of Photography
- *Typhoon Over Nagasaki* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Best Part* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Heroes and Sinners* (1955), Camera Operator
- *Frou-Frou* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Queen Margot* (1954), Director of Photography
- *The Impure Ones* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Roman Holiday* (1953), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/roman-holiday.md)
- *When You Read This Letter* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Julietta* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Forbidden Fruit* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Three Women* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Stranger on the Prowl* (1952), as Priest on Bicycle · Director of Photography
- *Paris Is Always Paris* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Trip to America* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Juliette, or Key of Dreams* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Just Me* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Marie of the Port* (1950), Director of Photography
- *The Lovers of Verona* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Such a Pretty Little Beach* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Anna Karenina* (1948), Director of Photography
- *Woman of Evil* (1947), Director of Photography
- *The Damned* (1947), Director of Photography
- *Beauty and the Beast* (1946), Director of Photography
- *The Battle of the Rails* (1946), Director of Photography
- *The Little Ones of the Flower Platform* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Les Chevaux du Vercors* (1943), Camera Operator
- *Ceux du rail* (1943), Director of Photography
- *Blind Venus* (1941), Director of Photography
- *The Musicians of the Sky* (1940), Cinematography
- *The Shanghai Drama* (1938), Assistant Camera
- *Port of Shadows* (1938), Camera Operator
- *Hatred* (1938), Camera Operator
- *La Danseuse rouge* (1937), Director of Photography
- *Street of Shadows* (1937), Assistant Camera
- *Life Is Ours* (1936), Director of Photography
- *Fanny* (1932), Assistant Camera

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1954: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Roman Holiday*

### Other awards — 2 won, 1 nominated

- European Film Academy Special Aspect Award for Best Camera 1988: European Film Academy Special Aspect Award for Best Camera (nominated), for *Wings of Desire*
- German Film Award 1988: German Film Award (won)
- César Award 1983: César Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/henri-alekan