Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1504875
really a mystery of a story. There's always a story behind a story. Truth is hidden. Mys- tery is what binds it all together." As for her nonfiction work, Kamitsuna c a l l e d w o r k i n g w i t h d i re c to r M i c h a e l Mann on the four-part documentary series "Witness" in 2012 "world-shifting," adding that his work ethic was "eye-opening and so impressive." "It's almost superhuman," she said. "He doesn't stop questioning his material, push- ing everybody to continue to search, look, enhance, improve, sometimes undo it and start from scratch. Just endless, endless effort. He demands a lot from people and editors, but he proves himself by doing the work himself. Having that [experience] was quite remarkable." While "Witness" focused on a raw look at war photojournalists in the field, her next Mann-directed project, "Blackhat," was an action thriller about illegal hacking based on real events that took place in Iran several years earlier. The 2015 film starred Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, and Wei Tang, and was the first feature Mann shot entirely using digital cameras. His commitment to authenticity and experimentation inspired Kamitsuna in the cutting room, too. "One thing Michael said to me that really freed me was, 'you're an artist, so play with the material. Show me what you do, show me what you feel,'" she said. "That awakened me to the responsibil- ity of editors to show all the new potential options that the material has in store." As for what's in store for the future, Kamitsuna said she'd still like to do "bigger, more challenging studio movies with very strong directors. I like to keep looking for those challenges." She also feels strongly about advocating for editors to ask for an editor's cut of any film or television project they work on, not- ing that she always offers two versions of the editor's cut: one as it was scripted, and the other as a more freely rearranged and re-interpreted version she feels is worth- while to present. For her, the editor's cut can be used "as a basis for constructive and creative dialogue with my director [and] for checking my director's creative parameters and endurance." This helps optimize the time editors have with directors and helps to "make the movie fly." "The scandal of last year's Oscars (with the film editing award being excluded from the main broadcast) was a reality check on where the respect for our craft stands in this industry," she said. "I can't say this any clearer: There is no movie without editing. The editor's cut matters, and I want today's and the next generation of editors to be vocal about this. Look for a way to be more visible and to demand what we need to do our job better." ■ Kristin Marguerite Doidge teaches journalism and is the author of "Nora Ephron: A Biography." 31 F A L L Q 3 I S S U E C O V E R S T O R Y WAGON TRAIN: A scene from "Mudbound." P H OT O : N E T F L I X