The filmmaking world has lost one of its shining lights with the passing of Polish cinematographer Piotr Sobocinski, March 26 in Vancouver. The 43-year-old DOP died in his sleep of heart failure one week into production on 24 Hours, a ransom thriller directed by Luis Mandoki and starring Charlize Theron and Kevin Bacon.

It was Sobocinski’s collaborations with the late Krzysztof Kieslowski that brought him to international attention. Sobocinski shot the director’s final film, Trois Couleurs: Rouge, in 1994 and earned an Oscar nomination for his efforts. Sobocinski’s subsequent projects were mostly Hollywood productions, including Angel Eyes, also directed by Mandoki, which will be released May 18. The drama stars Jennifer Lopez and Jim Caviezel, and was filmed in Toronto. (To read about Canadian Steadicam/camera operator Peter Rosenfeld’s experience working with Sobocinski on this film, see Cinematography in the Sept. 18, 2000 Playback). *