Director and photographer Eva Sereny dies aged 86

Bafta-winning director and film photographer Eva Sereny has died at the age of 86, it has been announced.

The filmmaker, who was born to Hungarian parents and raised in England, was best known for her famous on-set photographs from movies such as Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Last Tango In Paris, Death In Venice and The Great Gatsby.

She died following complications from a stroke on May 25, according to Iconic images, the company that acquired Sereny’s archive earlier this year.

The company also assisted in publishing her book Through Her Lens: The Stories Behind The Photography Of Eva Sereny in 2018 and staging a simultaneous retrospective exhibition in London.

Carrie Kania, creative director of Iconic Images, described Sereny as “one-of-a-kind”, adding: “This news of her sudden passing has left us with great sorrow.

“Eva’s work touched many people, and her photographs were seen by so many, worldwide, in newspapers and magazines for nearly 50 years.

“She was a woman in a profession dominated by men, and she reached the very top of her field.

“She was humble but fiercely proud of her work and in recent years, we spent a great deal of time pouring over her negatives. It is a privilege for us to be involved in her extraordinary legacy.”

Sereny’s short film The Dress, starring Sir Michael Palin, premiered on the last day of the London Film Festival in 1984 and went on to win a Bafta.

While best known for her film photography, she also photographed covers and features for magazines including Life, Elle, Paris Match, Marie Claire, Epoca, Vogue Hommes and Harper’s Bazaar.