---
name: "Jost Vacano"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jost-vacano"
fi1m_id: "jost-vacano"
imdb_id: "nm0005911"
tmdb_id: 5241
wikidata_id: "Q62652"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "15 March 1934"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-07T10:49:11.164964+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."
---

# Jost Vacano

## Identity

Jost Vacano

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jost-vacano
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jost-vacano
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005911
- **TMDB ID:** 5241
- **Wikidata ID:** Q62652
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jost_Vacano, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q62652, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005911/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5241

Cinematographer. Born 15 March 1934 in Osnabrück, Germany.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 15 March 1934, Osnabrück, Germany
- **Active:** 1977–1997
- **Frequently works with:** [Paul Verhoeven](https://film.one/person/paul-verhoeven.md), [Alan Marshall](https://film.one/person/alan-marshall.md), [Dean Riesner](https://film.one/person/dean-riesner.md), [Edward Neumeier](https://film.one/person/edward-neumeier.md), [Herbert Grönemeyer](https://film.one/person/herbert-gronemeyer.md), [Hubertus Bengsch](https://film.one/person/hubertus-bengsch.md), [Jürgen Prochnow](https://film.one/person/jurgen-prochnow.md), [Klaus Wennemann](https://film.one/person/klaus-wennemann.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 88 (3), 1990s 68 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 77 to 72 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 3, Drama 3, Science Fiction 3, Adventure 2, Thriller 2, History 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $541m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jost_Vacano, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q62652, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005911/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5241

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*RoboCop*](https://film.one/film/robocop.md) (91), [*Showgirls*](https://film.one/film/showgirls.md) (42)
- **Hulu:** [*Total Recall*](https://film.one/film/total-recall.md) (84)
- **Netflix:** [*Starship Troopers*](https://film.one/film/starship-troopers.md) (79)

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

## Biography

Jost Vacano is a German cinematographer. Born on 15 March 1934 in Osnabrück, he began working in advertising and documentary films in the 1950s before moving into features.

He is known for his work on *Das Boot* (1981), for which he received an Academy Award nomination, *The NeverEnding Story* (1984), *RoboCop* (1987), *Total Recall* (1990), *Showgirls* (1995), *Starship Troopers* (1997) and *Hollow Man* (2000). He collaborated with director Paul Verhoeven on seven films. Vacano has been a member of the American Society of Cinematographers since 1991.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, theasc.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Starship Troopers* (1997), Fi1m 79, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/starship-troopers.md)
- *Showgirls* (1995), Fi1m 42, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/showgirls.md)
- *Total Recall* (1990), Fi1m 84, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/total-recall.md)
- *RoboCop* (1987), Fi1m 91, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/robocop.md)
- *Das Boot* (1985), Fi1m 84, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/tv/das-boot-1985.md)
- *Das Boot* (1981), Fi1m 89, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/das-boot.md)

## Complete filmography (34)

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

- *Hollow Man* (2000), Director of Photography
- *Starship Troopers* (1997), Director of Photography — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/starship-troopers.md)
- *Showgirls* (1995), Director of Photography — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/showgirls.md)
- *Untamed Heart* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Total Recall* (1990), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/total-recall.md)
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, Director of Photography
- *Rocket Gibraltar* (1988), Director of Photography
- *RoboCop* (1987), Director of Photography — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/robocop.md)
- *52 Pick-Up* (1986), Director of Photography
- *Das Boot* (1985), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/das-boot-1985.md)
- *The NeverEnding Story* (1984), Director of Photography
- *The Roaring Fifties* (1983), Director of Photography
- *Das Boot* (1981), Director of Photography — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/das-boot.md)
- *Spetters* (1980), Director of Photography
- *For Queen and Country* (1979), series, Director of Photography
- *Tod oder Freiheit* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Soldier of Orange* (1977), Director of Photography
- *The Brothers* (1977), Director of Photography
- *21 Hours at Munich* (1976), Director of Photography
- *Montana Trap* (1976), Director of Photography
- *Dear Fatherland Be at Peace* (1976), Director of Photography
- *The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum* (1975), Director of Photography
- *Supermarket* (1974), Director of Photography
- *The German Lesson* (1971), series, Director of Photography
- *Scene of the Crime* (1970), series, Director of Photography
- *Schmetterlinge weinen nicht* (1970), Director of Photography
- *The Accident* (1968), Director of Photography
- *No Shooting Time for Foxes* (1966), Director of Photography
- *Dresden 1964 - Im Zwinger* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Hollywood in Deliblatska Pescara* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Jugendweihe 1964/65* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Die Teutonen kommen* (1962), Director of Photography
- *Bodega Bohemia* (1962), Director of Photography
- *Moscow Is Calling!* (1959), Director of Photography

## Gallery

- ![This file was uploaded with Commonist.](https://film.one/media/person/77486/gallery-432fe51b4023.jpg) This file was uploaded with Commonist. — Thomas Schmidt (netAction), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Boulevard-der-stars-IMG_1314x.JPG/1280px-Boulevard-der-stars-IMG_1314x.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Jost Vacano mit seiner Ehefrau Dagmar](https://film.one/media/person/77486/gallery-5d5dc2ddd60b.jpg) Jost Vacano mit seiner Ehefrau Dagmar — Thomas Schmidt (netAction), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Boulevard-der-stars-IMG_1378x.JPG/1280px-Boulevard-der-stars-IMG_1378x.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Jost Vacano](https://film.one/media/person/77486/gallery-e0af2d279a42.jpg) Jost Vacano — Thomas Schmidt (netAction), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Boulevard-der-stars-IMG_1378x_%28cropped%29_-_Jost_Vacano.JPG/1280px-Boulevard-der-stars-IMG_1378x_%28cropped%29_-_Jost_Vacano.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Jost Vacano auf der Jahreshauptversammlung des Bundesverbandes Kinematografie, Hamburg 2015](https://film.one/media/person/77486/gallery-137b2f90a68d.jpg) Jost Vacano auf der Jahreshauptversammlung des Bundesverbandes Kinematografie, Hamburg 2015 — Jensbest, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Jost_Vacano_BVK_2015_1.JPG/1280px-Jost_Vacano_BVK_2015_1.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Jost Vacano auf der Jahreshauptversammlung des Bundesverbandes Kinematografie, Hamburg 2015](https://film.one/media/person/77486/gallery-ebdf5e253072.jpg) Jost Vacano auf der Jahreshauptversammlung des Bundesverbandes Kinematografie, Hamburg 2015 — Jensbest, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Jost_Vacano_BVK_2015_2.JPG/1280px-Jost_Vacano_BVK_2015_2.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1983: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Das Boot*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Marburg Camera Award 2010: Marburg Camera 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/jost-vacano