Milk Cinematographer Dies

Milk cinematographer Harris Savides (right) with Gus Van Sant and Case Affleck at the premier of Gerry. Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images.

Harris Savides, the cinematographer who brough gay pioneer Harvey Milk's story to life, died Thursday, according to TheWrap.The 55-year-old shot six films with gay filmmaker Gus Van Sant, including Elephant, Gerry, and Milk, and he worked with Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, and Ridley Scott (among others).

Savides, who is survived by his wife Medine, also worked on several award-winning music videos (and is the only cinematographer to win three MTV Video Music Awards). These include Michael Jackson's Scream, Fiona Apple's Criminal, Nine Inch Nails' Closer, R.E.M.'s Everybody Hurts and Madonna's Rain.

The visual poet died of brain cancer.