Behind the Lens

Santa Barbara director Andrew Davis, better known for his Hollywood action films, including The Fugitive, has returned to the world of documentaries with an intimate portrait of two renowned local photographers, Tony Vaccaro and an old friend Santi Visalli.

In Mentors – Tony & Santi, Davis focuses on the warm supportive relationship between the twosome that transcends the singular images they have both captured with their cameras, including Vaccaro’s time as a combat photographer under General George S. Patton in the 83rd Infantry Division during World War II, to Santi’s 1957 Italian Jeep expedition across the globe.

Vaccaro’s subjects include one-of-a-kind portraits of icons like Enzo Ferrari, Pablo Picasso and Sophia Loren, amongst hundreds of covers for Look and Life magazine, while Santi’s distinguished career saw him photograph five U.S. presidents, Federico Fellini, Louis Armstrong, Andy Warhol, Mohammed Ali and Sophia Loren, as well as provide indelible images for the covers of more than 50 magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Newsweek, and Forbes.

The 51-minute documentary will premiere at the Lobero on Tuesday, January 21, as part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.