From Hollywood to San Miguel de Allende: Meet Stephen Goldblatt

Published July 13, 2023

What do Meryl Streep, Francis Ford Coppola, Nicole Kidman, Mick Jagger and Alan Pakula -to name but a few – all have in common?

All have been on set with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt. After 50 years of working in the heart of Hollywood, earning him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his craft, South African-born and longtime Brit, Stephen, won’t be quite so incognito from now on in San Miguel de Allende. This weekend, he will present a selection of his photographs in an exhibition sure to unravel a treasure trove of stories and declare his devotion to his home of seven years: Mexico.

I went to visit my fellow Brit in his splendid but unassuming home, and found a soft-spoken gentleman, with guts, grit and salty humor to boot. Having worked with some of the fiercest visionaries, and egos, in cinema, he had many tales to tell. I could have stayed all day for the stories and perusing his work, but I had two burning questions: why Mexico, and what next?

“I’m never without my Leica camera, and San Miguel is just pulsing with narrative. In the pandemic, I wandered the deserted streets, and photographed. I have a penchant for night strolls too; there’s all sorts of hidden magic here.”

The man who shot “Angels in America”, “Lethal Weapon”, “The Cotton Club”, “Batman Forever” and “Closer” is, naturally, a serious master of composition and light.

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