Miroslav Ondricek, the Czech director of photography who was twice nominated for the Academy Awards, has died. He was 80.
Czech public television announced Ondricek's death today, citing his son David, also a filmmaker. No cause was given.
Ondricek was behind the camera in some 40 movies but was best known abroad for his cooperation with his friend,director Milos Forman, who settled in the United States after the 1968 Soviet-led invasion crushed the Prague Spring's liberal reforms in Czechoslovakia.
His work on Forman's "Ragtime" and "Amadeus," which examined the relationship between Mozart and rival composer Antonio Salieri, earned him Oscar nominations.
In 2004, Ondricek received the International Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers.
