A chieving cinematic realism - including the capture of real car-racing - in the high-octane wish-fulfillment story of Gran Turismo was paramount for cinematographer Jacques Jouffret, ASC and director Neill Blomkamp. " It's about a young man trying to make his way and all the anxiety that goes with that, " Jouffret says. " From the get-go, Neill wanted absolute reality. This was a true story. He didn't want any fakeness, embellishing or making anything beautified. That was interesting to me because Neill is wellknown for his expertise in visual effects. " Gran Turismo tells the incredible true story of Jann Mardenborough - son of a former soccer player in Cardiff, Wales - who, at age 19, won a spot on Nissan's GT Academy television program. Tapping skills he acquired playing the Gran Turismo racing-simulator game on PlayStation, he qualified to drive 500-horsepower race cars in real motorsports tournaments. He went on to become a finalist at the legendarily challenging 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013. SEPTEMBER 2023 / 15