Director and cinematographer David Griffiths passed away January 16 due to multiple cancers attributed to toxins that he was exposed to as a resident of Tribeca in the weeks after 9/11. He was 73.
Born in Christ Church, New Zealand, Griffiths went to the prestigious National Film and Television School in London. He had early success as a commercial DP: Guinness “Black Pot,” which Griffiths shot for director John Perkins, won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 1976.
During the 1980s Griffiths became a highly sought-after DP, shooting internationally for both commercials and independent films. Notably, he was the director of photography for several of the famous Guess jeans commercials during that time, including “Texas, 1958,” shot in the Texas Panhandle, and “Paparazzi.”
During this time he began to work with his older brother, Ken Griffiths, a noted editorial and advertising photographer, on the movie that became his proudest achievement. Twenty years in the making, the feature-length documentary, Gandolfi—Family Business, told the story about the large-format Gandolfi Field Camera (Ken’s preferred camera) and the brothers who ran the family business, which was essentially unchanged since the 19th century. It was released in 2004. A digital remaster came out on DVD in 2018, one year after the Gandolfi company finally closed its doors.
David Griffiths began to direct, specializing in tabletop. And as his career gained momentum he moved to New York City in 1989. In 1992 Griffiths became the first commercial director/DP to be featured in American Cinematographer: in a story about his work for Dannon yogurt.
In more recent years Griffiths had a long stint at Curious Pictures, where he perfected the lighting for many stop-motion animation projects and served as an advisor and mentor to young directors and DPs. At the time of his death Griffiths was working with Naked City Films. Over the course of his career, his notable clients included Lexus, Volvo, Mars chocolate, Hershey, Haagen Dazs, Chobani, and Amnesty International.
Survivors include his wife, Pamela; son Joshua (Tammy); granddaughters Rease, Nia, and Chloe; nieces, Ruby and Bella ; nephew Andy; and brothers Roger and Peter. There will be a celebration of Griffiths’ life at a later date to be determined.
