Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/832212
67 Q2 2017 / CINEMONTAGE 67 Q2 2017 / CINEMONTAGE storytelling — the timing, the choice of shot selection, how to show points of view. At the same time she was teaching, she was also editing Eyes on the Prize II for PBS, and we traveled to Boston to see her work on the show. I was a film major with a focus in editing and went on to cut three films and a video project to complete my editing specialty major within the film department at New York's School of Visual Arts. The summer I graduated, Lillian hired me as a second assistant on the PBS documentary The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry, narrated by Morgan Freeman. She was a major influence and mentor in my life. Candace Corelli Colleague/Mentee/Former Student; Director n L illian and I have crossed paths for decades, she working in post- production and me in camera. Over the years, she has been an inspirational friend and mentor, very grounded in faith and also loving movies, theatre and dance. I've confided in Lillian and received constructive criticism and much professional support from her. In 2012, we had the pleasure of working as a team on her documentary, Amen: The Life and Music of Jester Hairston. We also worked together on Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race. For that, the many hours of interviews and footage made for a huge task. Lillian's a master of the art of documentary editing with a long history and many credits. The Editors Guild had a 3D editing exercise for its members several years ago, and Lillian invited me to the Guild facilities. I played director and we cut the short piece. I enjoyed watching her magic as she cut two frames, slipping and snipping different takes, yet keeping it all in sync. It was an enjoyable experience for both of us. I'm thrilled she's been having a wonderful time editing dramatic pieces in recent years. Congratulations, Lillian. Brava! Michelle Crenshaw Friend/Colleague/Mentee; Camera Operator n I n daily life and in the film and media industry, it is not every day that you meet someone with the generosity of spirit that embodies and is the very essence of Ms. Lillian Benson. Though she is no pushover, Lillian is kind and generous to all who cross her path. I am grateful for the longevity of her career as a pioneer and a trailblazer. I always appreciate her empathy and talent in the editing room, with me as a director, and to know exactly what I want — sometimes even before I know what it is! Lillian is both worldly and complex; she grounds and contextualizes your work because she has the gift that all the best editors have: She listens. Her criticism is gentle and probing; she can push, but she doesn't pull. She succeeds as an editor because she is very professional, compassionate and respectful of the work and the collaborative team that is an integral part of the media industry. She has been a mentor and a friend to many filmmakers, but especially to Black women filmmakers in both the narrative and documentary worlds. Lillian is the rare person who can handle documentary and narrative subject matter with ease. She truly personifies the goal of the union to make things good not just for herself, but for all people. On a personal note, Lillian is also the godmother to my two daughters, Maazi and Desta. And as one of the many people Lillian has helped over the years, I am honored to be a part of the many voices who celebrate her for this prestigious Fellowship and Service Award. I wish her many more years of happy editing experiences! Zeinabu irene Davis Friend/Colleague; Director, Producer, Professor, Department of Communications, University of California San Diego n I first met Lillian to discuss working on the documentary I was directing, John Lewis: Get in the Way. Before I even opened my mouth, she said, "I love John Lewis! I'll do whatever I can to get this film made." It's rare in our industry to find that kind of immediate and all-out commitment. We had mutual friends, but Lillian didn't know me, or my work and, beyond a rough trailer, she hadn't seen any of the footage we'd shot. It was simply a fact. "John Lewis? I'll do it." Like so many documentaries, this one took a very long time to complete, but from day one Lillian jumped in with enthusiasm and faith in the project. Over and over, I was impressed by her shot selections, her rearrangement of sequences, her critical integration of archival footage and, of course, her exquisitely timed pacing. With revisions, she took the best of our advisors' notes and, over time, coaxed especially problematic scenes to life. We talked for hours about how the film might reflect the essential John Lewis: his courage, his unwavering convictions about non-violence, his love and generosity of spirit, and his commitment to purposeful action. The scenes themselves convey this, but Lillian skillfully immersed these traits into the very fabric of the film. I am delighted that the Editors Guild chose Lillian to receive this prestigious award, and I add my praise to the many who have found in her an exceptional creative partner. Kathleen Dowdey Friend/Colleague; Director, Producer n I first met Lillian Benson when she was working for Henry Hampton at Blackside in Boston, editing Paul Stekler and Jacqueline Shearer's tragic elegy about the last year of Dr. King's life, Eyes on the Prize II. I was just floored by how she managed to pack so much emotional power into a squeaky-clean, fact-checked, scholar-vetted historical documentary. I had never seen anyone pull that off, and immediately understood why Hampton depended heavily on her for clear thinking and professionalism. When it came time for me to produce exactly that breed of documentary about automobile magnate Henry Ford for Blackside two years later, my first call was to Lillian, and it was off to the races: Lillian,