Born: 29 December 1942, ?, Denmark, as Dirk van Cappelen Brüel.

Education: Den Danske Filmskole/National Film School of Denmark, Copenhagen [DDF] [1967-69].

Career: Trained as a still ph [since 1962] in the advertising business. Member of the DFF since 1969.

His son Nicolai is a doph.

Awards: Bodil Special Award [1977]; Robert Festival Award [1991] for 'Springflod'; Camerimage 'Golden Frog' nom [1999], Robert Festival Award [2000] & Palm Springs IFF 'Da Vinci' Award [2000; shared] for 'Magnetisörens femte vinter/The Magnetist's Fifth Winter'; Robert Festival Award nom [2005] for 'Familien Gregersen'.

Dirk Brüel: 'I read the script rather slowly the first time and already at that stage I begin putting it into pictures. Then I read it again while in meetings with the director, who expands on a number of the scenes. This leads to more images and, if I am lucky, I can see so much of the film in my mind's eye that I don't have to cling to the script any longer. Thinking about the lighting can keep me awake at night until I find just what may become the soul of the film I am going to shoot. [...] I want to constantly move the camera and comment with it in order to generate life and extract the maximum emotion from a scene. The cinematographer matters to the cast. In a way you are the primary eye directed at them, and with which they sometimes seek contact to obtain the first reaction to their question: Was that good enough or do we do it again?'

'The realism I aimed for in my films from the 1970s was very much inspired by the French nouvelle vague. What we wanted to do was recreate natural light sources and not to over-light, as was the style of Danish popular comedies. Actually, I was afraid of color too and I horrified the laboratories by underexposing a little and creating images with fewer contrasts. When I do things I give way to my feelings. I can tell instinctively if things are good or bad. In those days we could practically play our way to the desired results, and really that suits my disposition very well. Things easily become too inflexible if they're committed to a script or storyboard first.'

'Nowadays I often use big floods of light and I am not afraid of a forceful style. A scene such as the escape across the rooftops in 'The Magnetist's Fifth Winter' took up a couple of lines in the script, but was expanded until it took four or five days of shooting. We were inspired by the shadow effects of 'The Third Man'. It is natural to be inspired by old movies - and paintings too - because film is a conservative medium. Everything comes in waves, disappears, and returns again, for example the use of the hand-held camera, which was popular in the 1960s as well. Digitalization will not change the fundamental job of the cinematographer, only demand that he or she acquires new skills. The need for the cinematographer's sympathetic artistic insight will always remain the same.' [From article by Liselotte Michelsen & Morten Piil.]

1963        Hurra for os [Hagen Hasselbalch] b&w; doc/304mtr; cph: Henrik Heger & Mikael Salomon

1967        Boxiganga [Tom O'Horgan] c; short/50m

1969        Gitte i april/Gitte in April [Hans Kristensen] ?; short/37m; prod DDF

1969        Revolution [Christian B. Thomsen] ?; short/40m; prod DDF

1970        Choices [Paul Secon] b&w; cph: Claus Ørsted & Leif Hansen; completed in 1970, but never released

1970        Kære Irene/Dear Irene [Christian Braad Thomsen] b&w

1971        Ind i mellem bliver vi gamle [Ole Roos] ?

1971        En mand/A Man [Ole Roos] ?; short/30m

1971        Exhibition of M [Barry Bryant] 16mm/?; doc/39m

1971        The Fight Between Industry and Poetry [Per Ingolf Mannstaedt] 16mm/?; doc/44m

1971        Livet er en drøm [Franz Ernst] 16mm/c; doc/76m; cph: Dino Raymond Hansen

1971        Slumstormerne/Slumstormer trilogien 1/The Squatter Trilogy [Christian Braad Thomsen] 16mm/c; doc/21m; 1st

                    part of 'Slumstormerne'-trilogy

1971        Det kan blive bedre, kammerat/Slumstormer trilogien 2 [Christian Braad Thomsen] 16mm/c; doc/35m; 2nd part

                    of 'Slumstormerne'-trilogy

1972        Stærekassen/Slumstormer trilogien 3 [Christian Braad Thomsen] 16mm/c; doc/20m; 3rd part of 'Slumstormerne'

                    -trilogy

1972        Mine ting [Franz Ernst] ?; short/?m; fragment from 'Livet er en drøm'; also seg of anthology 'Danske piger viser alt - en

                    film i 20 kapitler/Danish Girls Show Everything' (1996/93m/20 seg)

1972        Flugten [, nr. 1]/The Escape [Hans Kristensen] us/c

1972        Papir [Poul Trier Pedersen] b&w; short/25m

1973        Skagen 72 [Claus Weeke] ?; doc/15m

1973        Detaljer fra den vesteuropæiske industrikultur [Per Ingolf Mannstaedt] 16mm/?; exp short/14m

1973        Er kongen død? [Gert Fredholm, Arne Forchhammer & Henning Camre] ?; cph: ?

1973        Eline - der første 16 måneder [Lise Roos] ?; doc/52m; cph: Peter Roos

1974        Yoga - en vej til lykke/Yoga: A Road to Happiness [Hagen Hasselbalch] c; doc/?m; cph: H. Hasselbalch

1974        Klaus Rifbjerg [Jørgen Leth] c; doc/22m

1974        Nøglehullet/Nyckelhålet/The Keyhole [Paul Gerber] c

1974        Skipper & Co. [Bjarne Henning-Jensen] c

1974        Per/Flugten, nr. 2 [Hans Kristensen] c; 2uc: Claus Loof

1975        Cobra et après [Ole Roos] 16mm/c; doc/54m; cph: O. Roos & Peter Roos

1975        Kroppens træning og udtryk I [Eske Holm] b&w; doc/27m

1975        Kroppens træning og udtryk II [Eske Holm] b&w; doc/29m

1975        Bejleren - en jysk røverhistorie [Knud Leif Thomsen] c

1975        Dejlig er den himmel blå [Jon Bang Carlsen] 16mm/?; doc/45m; cph: Freddy Tornberg, Morten Bruus, a.o.

1975        Herfra min verden går/Well-Spring of My World [Christian Braad Thomsen] 16mm/c; doc/77m

1975        Den dobbelte mand/The Double Man [Franz Ernst] c

1976        Blind makker/Blind Is Beautiful [Hans Kristensen] c

1976        En forårsdag i helvede/A Sunday in Hell/A Spring Day in Hell [Jørgen Leth] c; doc/111m; cph: Henning Camre,

                    Dan Holmberg, Jacques Loiseleux, Jan Weincke, a.o.

1976        Skyld og straf [Erik Nørgaard] ?

1976        Drenge/Boys [Nils Malmros] c; cph: Morten Bruus & Morten Arnfred

1976        Christiania [Ove Nyholm & Fleming Colstrup] c; doc/87m; cph: Bille August, Katja Forbert Petersen, Morten Bruus, a.o.

1977        Clark [Poul Martinsen] c; docudrama/104m; cph: Morten Bruus, Dan Holmberg, Jan Weincke & Michael Christensen

1977        Kloden rokker [- Roskilde Festival]/This Rockin' Globe [John Menzer] c; mus doc/89m; cph: Simon Plum, Henrik

                    Herbert, a.o.

1977        Smertens børn/Children of Agony [Christian Braad Thomsen] c

1977        Veronicas svededug [Jytte Rex] 16mm/c; cph: J. Rex (s8 ph)

1977        De gale i Havanna [Merete Borker & Lars Engels] ?; doc/?m

1977        En fisker i Hanstholm/A Fisherman from Hanstholm [Jon Bang Carlsen] c; dram doc/64m; 2uc: Jan Weincke &

                    Alexander Gruszynski

1978        Honning Måne/Honeymoon/In My Life [Bille August] c; cph: Fritz Schrøder

1978        Charlie Rivel - en film om en klovn [Jimmy Andreasen, Ebbe Preisler & Svend Abrahamsen] c; doc/44m; cph: J.

                    Andreasen, Morten Bruus & Alexander Gruszynski

1978        92 minutter af i går/92 Minutes of Yesterday [Carsten Brandt] c

1978        Achilleshælen er mit våben/The Achilles Heel Is My Weapon [Jytte Rex] c; cph: Alexander Gruszynski & J. Rex

                    (s8 ph)

1978        Drømme støjer ikke, når de dør [Christian Braad Thomsen] c

1979        Johnny Larsen [Morten Arnfred] c

1979        Historien om en moder/The Story of a Mother [Claus Weeke] 16mm/c; short/52m

1979        Kvindesind [Stig Björkman] c

1980        Børn på hospital [Lise Gjødesen] ?

1980        Pigen fra havet/Huset ved havet [Claus Weeke] c; 69m

1981        Tag feen i den anden hånd [Hans Kristensen] ?

1981        Guldhjertet [Bille August] c; short/22m

1981        Kniven i hjertet/The Knife in the Heart [Christian Braad Thomsen] b&w

1981        Slingrevalsen [Esben Høilund Carlsen] c

1982        Go' morgen morgen [Ulla Raben] ?

1982        Hjemlig hygge [Morten Arnfred] c; short/15m

1982        Jeg troede vi havde en aftale [Li Vilstrup & Bodil Moseholm] ?; short/33m

1982        Der er et yndigt land [Morten Arnfred] c

1983        Koks i kulissen/Ladies on the Rocks [Christian Braad Thomsen] c; 2uc: Fritz Schrøder

1983        Tukuma [Palle Kjærulff-Schmidt] c; cph: Birger Bohm

1983        Bakom jalusin/Bag jalousien [Stig Björkman] c; cph: Lars Karlsson

1984        Per Nørgård - et arbejdsportræt [Lennart Pasborg] ?; doc/39m

1984        Paradiset er ikke til salg [Teit Ritzau] c; doc/61m; cph: Peter Roos, Jan Weincke & Henning Bendtsen

1984        Gittes monologer - Per Højholt [Ebbe Preisler] c; doc/63m; cph: Manuel Sellner

1984        Tænk selv, en film om Poul Henningsen [Dan Säll] ?; doc/43m; cph: D. Säll & Gunnar Magnusson

1984        Stationer/Stations [Rumle Hammerich] ?

1984        Der er en kridtcirkel om dit liv [Dirk Brüel, Erik Nørgaard & Stefan Christian Henszelman] c; doc/44m

1985        Den kroniske uskyld [Edward Fleming] c; cph: Jesper Find

1986        Flamberede hjerter [Helle Ryslinge] c; cph: Søren Berthelin

1986        Flygtning [e.g. #3 'Antonio og Maria - på flugt fra Guatemala' dir by Morten Arnfred] ?; 13-part doc series

1987        Opløsning [Frans Bauhaus] ?; short/22m 

1988        Himmel og helvede/Heaven and Hell [Morten Arnfred] c; 2uc: Dan Laustsen

1988        Århus by Night [Nils Malmros] c; ext ph; ph: Jan Weincke

1989        Dagens Donna [Stefan Henszelman] c; 2uc: Fritz Schrøder, Peter Roos & Allan Olsson Lückow

1989        Sirup [Helle Ryslinge] c

1990        Syv-et/7-1 [Frans Bauhaus] c; short/26m; cph: Kim Sejer Larsen

1990        Springflod [Eddie Thomas Petersen] c

1990        Christiania, du har mit hjerte [Nils Vest] c; doc/64m; cph: Alexander Gruszynski, Manuel Sellner, a.o.

1991        Den magiske orden - en film om dansk design [Claus Bohm] c; doc/38m

1991        Bare løgn! [Bodil Trier] c; short/45m

1991        De nøgne træer/The Naked Trees [Morten Henriksen] c; 2uc: Jan Weincke

1992        Det forsømte forår/The Lost Spring/Stolen Spring [Peter Schrøder] c; + co-scrpl

1993        Roser og persille/Tango for tre (tv-title) [Eddie Thomas Petersen] 16mm-35bu/c; 2uc: Eric Kress; also 5-part

                    tv-miniseries, 1994 (230m)

1994        La hija del Puma/Pumaens datter/The Daughter of the Puma [Ulf Hultberg & Åsa Faringer] c

1994        Fyr og flamme [Franz Ernst] c; short/7m; also edited into 'Så er der forfilm 2' (1995)

1995        Asger Jorn in memoriam [Ole Roos] ?; doc/26m; cph: Peter Roos

1995        I velfærdets favn [Ingrid Oustrup Jensen] c; doc/58m; cph: Peter Roos, a.o.

1995        Kun en pige/Just a Girl [Peter Schrøder] c; 2uc: Anthony Dod Mantle; also 3-part tv-miniseries (164m)

1995        Morten Korch - storyteller [Christian Braad Thomsen] ?

1995        Cirkus Ildebrand [Claus Bjerre] c

1997        Himmelstigen [Nils Vest] 16mm-35bu/c; doc/58m; co-addph; ph: Erik Norsker

1997        Skat, det er din tur [Mette Louise Knudsen] c; cph: Jørgen Johansson

1997        Et hjørne af paradis/A Corner of Paradise [Peter Ringgaard] c; 2uc: Mario Cardona

1997        Når mor kommer hjem.../On Our Own [Lone Scherfig] c; cph: Søren Berthelin

1998        Afmagt/Powerlessness [Martin Schmidt] c; short/49m

1998        Magnetisørens femte vinter/The Magnetist's Fifth Winter [Morten Henriksen] c; 2uc: Nils Petter Lotherrington; vfx

                    ph (winter scenes): Jan Weincke

1998        Den blå munk/The Blue Monk [Christian Braad Thomsen] c

1999        Morten Korch - Solskin kan man altid finde [Christian Braad Thomsen] ?; doc/52m

1999        Kærlighed ved første hik [, nr. 1]/Love at First Hiccough [Tomas Villum Jensen] c

1999        Solen er så rød/When the Sun Goes Down [Jens Arentzen] DigiBeta/c; short/38m; cph: Claus Sisseck

2000        Slip hestene løs/Release All the Horses/Break Your Bounds [Erik Clausen] c

2000        Et rigtigt menneske/Dogme #18 - Et rigtigt menneske/Truly Human [Åke Sandgren] c

2000        En kort en lang/Shake It/Shake Your Heart [Hella Joof] scope/c; co-2uc; ph: Eric Kress

2001        Kat/Cat [Martin Schmidt] c

2001        Min søsters børn/My Sister's Kids [Tomas Villum Jensen] c; extra ph: Jan Weincke

2002        Ondskabens anatomi/The Anatomy of Evil [Ove Nyholm] c; doc/93m; cph: Dan Holmberg

2002        Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself/Wilbur begår selvmord [Lone Scherfig] HD-to-35mm/c; addph; ph: Jørgen Johansson

2002        Lykkevej/Move Me [Morten Arnfred] c

2002        A Piano Tale [Benjamin Holmsteen] c; short/8m

2003        Møgunger/Nasty Brats/The Little Rascals [Giacomo Campeotto] c

2004        Return to Sender/Convicted [Bille August] c

2004        Familien Gregersen/Lost Generation [Charlotte Sachs Bostrup] scope/c; 210m; addph: Anthony Dod Mantle &

                    Morten Bruus

2005        Mørke/Murk [Jannik Johansen] c; 2uc; ph: Rasmus Videbæk

2005        Without Apparent Motive [Bille August] announced; status unknown

2006        The Black Pimpernel/Den sorte Pimpernel/Svarta nejlikan [Åsa Faringer & Ulf Hultberg] s35/b&w-c

2006        Chacun son cinéma [ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s'éteint et que le film commence [seg 'The

                    Last Dating Show' dir by Bille August] b&w-c; 33 seg + epilogue

1978        Et par dage med Magnus [Bille August] 3-part miniseries; cph: Fritz Schrøder

1978        Kammesjukjul [Nils Malmros] tvm/40m; cph: Morten Bruus

1978        Rejs dig Emil Koch [Poul Trier Pedersen] tvm/110m

1982        Ude af stand [Hans Engberg] ?

1982        Udvikling [Tørk Haxthausen] 3-part miniseries, 1982-83; cph: Birger Bohm

1987        Sorgagre [Morten Henriksen] tvm

1988        To som elsker hinanden [Annelise Hovmand] 3-part series

1994        Flemming og Berit [Lone Scherfig] 6-part series; 2uc (ep #6); ph: Kim Hattesen

1994        Tango for tre [Eddie Thomas Petersen] 5-part miniseries; see Films (1993, 'Roser og persille')

1995        Kun en pige [Peter Schrøder] 3-part miniseries; see Films (1995)

2002        Se dagens lys [Steen Rasmussen & Michael Wikke] tvm

2003        Forsvar/Defense [ep #5 'Den gode søn', #6 'Den man elsker' & #7 'Kæmp for alt hvad du har kært' dir by Morten

                    Arnfred] 29-part series, 2003-04; 1st season, 2003; other ph: Lars Vestergaard (#1-4 & 8)

2003        Forsvar/Defense [ep #17 'Fremtid med havudsigt, 2. del', #18 'Skytsenglen, 1. del' & #19 'Skytsenglen, 2. del' dir by

                    Morten Køhlert] 2nd season, 2004; other ph: Torben Forsberg & Eric Kress; see 2003

2003        Detaljer [Bille August] tvm

2004        Forsvar/Defense [ep #28 'Det største offer' & #29 'Kærlighed og død' dir by Morten Køhlert] 3rd season, 2004; other

                    ph: Torben Forsberg & Henrik Jongdahl; see 2003

2006        Historien bag kameraet [Torben Glarbo] 6-part doc series/b&w-c, 2007; cph: T. Glarbo & Henrik Herbert

2006        Anna Pihl [ep #11-15 dir by Morten Arnfred] 30-part series, 2006-08; 2nd season, 2007 (10 ep)

2009        Blekingegade [5 ep dir by Jacob Thuesen] 5-part series

1967        Fantasterne/The Dreamers [Kirsten Stenbæk] still ph; ph: Mikael Salomon

1968        Soldaterkammerater på bjørnetjeneste/Soldaterkammerater, nr. 6 [Carl Ottosen] c.asst; ph: Henning Bendtsen

1986        Composer Meets Quartet [Jørgen Leth; mus doc/v] co-c.op; ph: Dan Holmberg