Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/832212
68 CINEMONTAGE / Q2 2017 68 CINEMONTAGE / Q2 2017 me and the richest old autocrat in Depression- era America. After A Job at Ford's, she carved time out of her busy schedule to edit two sample scenes for Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle — my loony meditation on free will, destiny and union labor — but then had to go on to half a dozen other films that were backed up in her queue. Ten years later, when I finally raised finishing funds, the new editing team and I never did find a way to top Lillian's first cut of the "Ride of the Valkyries." Going through the archive at WGBH, I found an old videotape of Henry Hampton talking about the tense times at Blackside during production of Eyes II. He said that the overwhelming image he carried away from his experience was "the sight of editor Lillian Benson crying at the Steenbeck as she worked on the back-to-back assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy." On schedule and on budget, I might add. That's Lillian — a national treasure. Jon Else Friend/Colleague/Mentor; Director, Producer, Professor, Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley n W e had the pleasure of working with Lillian at the 2016 Sundance Edit and Story Lab. Our time together may have been brief but Lillian left a mark on all of us at the Lab. There is no one like Lillian. Yes, she has an intimidating body of work and can move easily into and out of the fiction and non-fiction TV and independent film worlds. That is unique enough. What makes her a singular creative voice is her ability to absorb and connect a film to the larger world — to personal and cultural history, to emotion, to family — while somehow managing to transcend those constructs. That's who Lillian is: brilliant, incisive and plain-spoken. She's here to work. Yet, she's also one of the most sensitive artists with whom we've worked. She brings her whole being to the work; she's eager to connect, share her knowledge and challenge people around her to be better. She made time to sit with younger editors and really listened to them, meeting each one where they were and elevating them. She engages with her whole heart and asks you to do the same. She is looking with laser focus to find the best parts of you, the best parts of a film, the sweet things that make us human. She inspired all of us to look more closely, think and feel more deeply. And that was just a week. I'm jealous of the artists and colleagues in the field who've had the chance to know and work with her for over 30 years. How lucky we all are that she is committed to the craft of editing. Kristin Feeley Colleague; Director, Labs and Artist Support, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program n L illian Benson's extraordinary work as a documentary film editor can be found on many of the National Black Programming Consortium-funded programs, most recently Maya Angelou and Still I Rise. It's the reason why whenever a project proposal comes to NBPC that has Lillian's name attached to it, we know the story's development is in excellent hands. We congratulate Lillian on being honored with the Editors Guild's Fellowship and Service Award. Leslie Fields-Cruz Colleague; Executive Director, National Black Programming Consortium n G reat talent is hard to find. Even more rare is to actually work with an icon such as Lillian Benson. When someone of her stature becomes available, you jump at the chance to work with her and witness her talent. We at Wolf Films have been honored by her tremendous contribution to our show. Arthur Forney Colleague; Executive producer, Wolf Films n F rom the time I first met Lillian Benson, it took 20 years to actually work with her. Why? She is particular about the projects she chooses to edit, and is always booked. Her body of work, her talent and the numerous accolades bestowed upon her over the years are a true testament as to why Lillian is always in such high demand. Persistence paid off, as the stars finally aligned in 2011 when I was producing The Lift, a 1920s film shot on 35mm film, brilliantly written and directed by Lyndon Barrois. The film required an editor who could craft each shot of the film without giving away the big reveal — that our main character was America's number one gangster, Al Capone. In the opening scene, Capone is standing in the middle of a deserted, dirt road. Our female lead is preoccupied and stops her Packard within inches of Capone. I was on set when we shot the scene using a stunt double, which was very convincing. However, when I saw Lillian's cut of the sequence for the first time, I nearly jumped out of my seat in horror that Al Capone was about to become road kill! The scene set the tone for our movie, which won numerous awards, including Best Film at the Madrid International Film Festival. An amazing editor, Lillian is generously passing her talents on to the next generation of editors by teaching at the University of Southern California. Over the years, many colleagues have asked me for recommendations for both documentary and narrative film editors. My answer is always the same: "Lillian Benson…if you can get her. She's simply the best!" Romell Foster-Owens Friend/Colleague; Producer, Director