Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1515786
43 W I N T E R Q 4 I S S U E F E A T U R E Wright gave her. "American Fiction" tells the story of Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (Wright), a frequently acerbic, respected novelist and professor of English literature, who has been struggling with the stereotyped tales the publishing industry demands from him as a Black author. His nuanced stories, devoid of pandering thuggish ghetto tropes, haven't sold a book in years—they aren't "Black enough." What's more, his reaction to his students' cultural sensitivities lands him in trouble with his department and leads to a forced sabbatical. In a f it of frustration, to prove his point, Monk pens an outlandish "Black" book under a pseud- onym, which surprisingly takes o, putting even more pressure on his sense of integrity versus his need to financially support his ailing mother. Rasula's edits lean into the perfor- mance-driven storytelling and satirical humor, while threading a needle between satirical humor and drama. Of key impor- tance to landing the film's explosive and unexpected ending was balancing the sto- ryline of Monk's angst-ridden professional life with crises transpiring at his family home. Even with a strong script, clear direc- torial vision, and a brilliant cast, the key to making this story fly was found in the edit. CineMontage: Finding the voice of this film must have been an exploration. What were your early conversations like with the director, Cord Jeerson? Hilda Rasula: Cord had a strong sense of the movie he wanted to make and why he was making it, which is so helpful when you're cutting. We talked about trying to make a movie that, despite its satirical element, was operating on a close-to-the- ground, human level. It isn't a Mike Leigh, kitchen-sink vibe, but we wanted to find an everyday authenticity in the performances. We wanted those relationships to feel lived-in, and we talked about finding that in some of the more dramatic scenes to bal- ance out some of the absurdities of plot and satire. I don't think we ever deviated from the hope of making a humanist film. We knew what we were going for tonally, but Erika Alexander and Jerey Wright in "American Fiction." P H OT O : M G M