The news
On September 16, 2026, ARRI published a new behind-the-scenes interview with cinematographer Álex de Pablo about shooting Rodrigo Sorogoyen's film The Beloved, also known as El ser querido. The big filmmaking takeaway is simple: de Pablo used six ARRI cameras across film and digital to make memory feel broken, alive, and a little unstable.
The camera list is wild in the best way: ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, ALEXA Mini, ARRIFLEX 416 Plus, ARRICAM LT, and ARRIFLEX 765. That means the film moves between digital, 16mm, 35mm, and 65mm. It also shifts between color and black-and-white.
Why it matters
We talk a lot about matching cameras. Same sensor. Same LUT. Same lens set. Same clean look from scene to scene. This story pushes the other way.
De Pablo said the goal was not perfect visual consistency. The point was to let each format keep its own grain, color, and feel. That is a strong choice because the movie is about a father and daughter dealing with memory, pain, and old wounds. The image is not just pretty. The image is part of the psychology.
The craft lesson
This is a great reminder for us: the camera choice should not start with specs. It should start with the feeling. If the scene is messy, maybe the image can be messy. If the memory is soft, maybe the texture should be soft. If the character is losing control, maybe the format can lose control too.
That does not mean we need six camera bodies on every shoot. Most of us do not have that kind of budget. But we can still use the same idea. We can shift glass. We can change frame rates. We can use harder light, softer light, handheld, locked-off frames, practicals, grain, or a different grade for a key scene. The tool is not the point. The shift in feeling is the point.
The boldest move
One of the most interesting details is the opening sequence. ARRI says the scene runs almost 20 minutes and was shot with five hidden cameras, no crew in the room, and the actors left to perform without the usual set energy around them.
That is brave filmmaking. It gives up control to protect truth. We love that. Sometimes the best directing choice is to build the room, light it well, hide the gear, and get out of the actors' way.
What we can steal
Here is the practical takeaway for our next project: pick one visual rule that supports the story, then pick one moment where we break it on purpose.
Not because it looks cool. Not because we saw it online. Because the character needs it. Because the scene earns it. Because the audience should feel the change before they can explain it.
The Beloved played in Cannes Official Competition and later screened at TIFF, with Javier Bardem and Victoria Luengo leading the cast. That festival path gives this craft story some weight, but the real lesson is smaller and more useful: texture is not a mistake when it has a reason.
Sources
ARRI: Álex de Pablo on The Beloved