Imagine being a European film student and loving the work of a legendary cinematographer who has won the Oscar – three times! Deciding to write your thesis on this man, Robert Richardson, would you contact the American Society of Cinematographers to ask if it could connect you with him to get a better understanding of him and his work – twice?!
Czech cinematographer Jana Hojdová had the passion and dedication to do so. And in the process, she developed a special bond with Richardson – and became a director.
Robert Richardson: The White Devil, her feature documentary dedicated to the life and career of the cinematographer, world premiered in the Special Screenings program at the 60th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) and has drawn much buzz at the fest.
In fact, Hojdová pulled double duty at the festival in the Czech spa town. After all, she also served as the cinematographer on Šimon Holý’s Crystal Globe competition entry Chica Checa.
Richardson, a close collaborator of Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone, also came to town to receive a fest honor.
Hojdová took time to talk to THR about her busy KVIFF 2026, how it capped a long, and often arduous, journey to make the film, her visit to the Oscars with Richardson and what’s next for her.
You sent a message to the American Society of Cinematographers mentioning you were looking to get in touch with Robert Richardson for your thesis and didn’t hear back for a while. What happened next?
After three months, I sent the same email again. And after an hour, Bob wrote me. “Jana, Robert Richardson here. Love to hear what you might request… Bob.” So, everything changed, and I felt like I was on Mars or somewhere in space. It was amazing.
‘Robert Richardson: The White Devil,’ courtesy of KVIFF
Why do you think he was open to this in-depth exchange with you?
For the first month or two months, I sent him questions and he started to reply, and we were chatting. Then he wrote and asked me: “Can you tell me something about yourself, because I don’t know who you are?” And I sent him a video on my phone: “Hello, Bob! Hello from Prague.” And he wrote me: “Ah, you are a woman. I was thinking you were a man.”
That’s why I asked him how come he started to send me very open, maybe even intimate, responses? And he said: “Because your first question was, ‘How were you born? Can you tell me something about your childhood? Where do you come from? How about your family?” He told me it was great that I asked him about personal things and not just which film material and lenses he uses.
Does it always interest you where people come from and what drives them?
I was studying in the camera department at FAMU (Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague). My father is a cinematographer, and we had to make a short documentary about a Czech cinematographer, and I chose him and made a five-minute documentary about him. I would like to know about these people who are behind the camera.
Before I saw the doc, I didn’t expect to see you in it. Why did you make yourself vulnerable, just like Robert Richardson did, in the process of making the film?
For me, being in the documentary was very difficult. I don’t like my voice. I don’t like to look at myself in the editing room. It was terrible. At first I said no, I don’t want to be in the documentary. Bob said, “I understand, but people will connect with you a lot.” And he was right, because for most people, his life and his fame in the industry is something unreachable, but I have a more normal life.
So, this was very, very difficult for me, but I said yes, also because for me this journey was like a detective story.
‘Robert Richardson: The White Devil,’ courtesy of KVIFF
You wrote your thesis and then decided to also make this doc. How did that decision come about?
At some point, I flew to the U.S. for a vacation and asked him if he was in L.A. because I had still never met him in person. And he wrote me that he was in New Zealand shooting a new film, Adrift. So, I flew to New Zealand, and when I saw him, I said: “We have to make a documentary about you.”
What was his reaction?
He said, “No, my life is not interesting.” But I started to capture everything on my iPhone, and after half a year or so, he saw that I was serious. Then he said, “Okay, let’s make a documentary.” But he also said: “It’s your film. I can help you with some contacts, but you have to make it.” So I started this long journey in 2017.
How did you get his famous directors, such as Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, to talk to you for the doc? And did the process work the same way with all of them?
With Oliver Stone, it was very fast. I had a close contact, and he said, “Okay, let me know when you are in L.A., and we can do it.” People love Bob and his incredible work, so they want to share their experiences. With Oliver, it was so open and fast.
With Martin Scorsese, it was a little more difficult because I didn’t have a close contact, so I had to go step by step, and it was a long journey. And then the COVID lockdown started, so we decided with his company that I would send them questions, and they would shoot the interview and send it to me. They asked me how I wanted to frame it, etc. And he responded to everything. It was a great interview.
With Quentin, it was similar. It took a long time. I met him at the Camerimage Film Festival, where I asked him if I could do an interview with him about Bob, and he said yes, but I then had to go step by step, and it took years. Then they wrote me one Thursday to ask if on Monday I could come to Tel Aviv because Quentin was open for an interview. I took a 16 millimeter camera, because Quentin loves film material, and took my cinematographer, producer and sound woman, and we went there. It was amazing. I was thinking he would give me 30 minutes, but he gave us three hours. He was so open, very friendly and honest.
Robert Richardson and Jana Hojdová, ‘Robert Richardson: The White Devil,’ courtesy of KVIFF
You and Bob also went to the Oscars, right?
Yes, when he got a nomination for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I said, Bob, it would be great if I could capture some images on my phone, so we went. He was totally nervous, because he doesn’t like this spotlight. He said, “I will not win,” and he didn’t win. Roger Deakins did for 1917 that year, 2020. But it was amazing, and it was interesting to see this man, who is one of the best in the world at what he’s doing, with all this vulnerability. He is very sensitive.
I loved that the doc shows the passion and determination that he and you both have, which is this aspirational energy. Have you received much feedback from viewers?
I am so happy that it can give people inspiration. A lot of people are writing to me to say thank you for this film, “you gave me energy to do this or that this and try something.” This is what I wanted. I wanted the film to be an inspiration for others.
You premiered Robert Richardson: The White Devil at Karlovy Vary and are also the cinematographer on Chica Checa. I assume the work process on that film was very different…
Yes, the director Šimon Holý also wrote the script and had his vision and images in his head. We started to speak about it, he sent me some inspirations, and we discussed it and shot the film. But I didn’t have to deal with any production, budget, editing or so. So I could concentrate on shooting. It was a totally different process for me.
‘Robert Richardson: The White Devil,’ courtesy of KVIFF
Courtesy of KVIFF
How was it having two films in different roles at KVIFF?
It was unbelievable. For both films, it was a long process. White Devil took about 10 years, and Chica Checa something like seven years. When they told me that on Saturday, Chica Checa would premiere and White Devil on Sunday, I felt, oh my god, this is a dream. What more could you want?
Will we see you continuing to work as both a cinematographer and director?
I would love to do that. But we will have to see. We are already preparing another feature film with Šimon that he will direct.
