Menges was part of ITV's 'World In Action' team in the early 1960s
and became a journalist and cameraman for several important documentaries
about South Africa. He also began a fruitful collaboration with Ken
Loach, first of all as camera operator on Poor
Cow (1967) and then as cinematographer on Kes
(1969). As cinematographer, he worked on Gumshoe
(1971), Local Hero
(1983), and won best cinematography Academy Awards for The
Killing Fields (1984) and The Mission (1986).
Menges directorial debut, A World Apart (1988), was a passionate account
of apartheid in 1960s South Africa. His follow-up, CrissCross (1992),
failed to gain similar praise. Second Best (1994), in which William
Hurt portrayed an introverted Welsh postman who adopts a troubled young
boy marked Menges' return to form. The
Lost Son (1999), tackled many uncomfortable subjects including child
abuse and prostitution, and while it is uneasy viewing it's nonetheless
compelling.
