My Vote for Sundance Award

Tomorrow we’ll find out which films win top prizes at Sundance. As I leave Park City, my vote goes to Jim: The James Foley Story, a documentary just acquired by HBO about a journalist who was executed by ISIS in 2014.

Given the gruesome subject matter and my overly delicate sensitivities, I almost dismissed this strong contender when I first read about it. A film about a beheading? Ahhh…no thanks.

But then I met the film’s editor at the Art of Editing lunch, co-hosted by the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship. Always on the look out for talented editors, I asked Aleks Gezentsvey if the team had any editorial guidelines in place for cutting such a horrifying story.

Her husband Patrick jumped in, “It wasn’t simply depressing, which you would expect, but actually a story that is inspiring.” The man was speaking my language.

So the next morning I saw director Brian Oakes’ heart-breaking documentary. It begins with a title card: “This film shows images of war recorded by conflict journalists. It does not show the execution of Jim.”

In two concise sentences, this brilliant exposition signaled the editorial team’s acute awareness of the viewer’s experience. Kudos! Later in the film, when depicting Jim’s imprisonment, creative re-enactments convey the horror of torture without sending me running for the door.

As a global citizen, see Jim to be inspired. As a filmmaker, see Jim as an excellent example of how difficult subject matter can be framed in a way that drives home a call for action–in this case, the necessity for safer conflict journalism.

In yet another inspiring call for action…check out our new Finish Your Film program. I currently have two slots open for qualified filmmakers. Email me for a free consultation.