I had the pleasure of meeting legendary editor Jonathan Oppenheim (Paris is Burning, amongst many others) a small number of times, and his kindness, humility, and integrity were always immediately apparent. And hearing him speak about editing, and having the opportunity to even ask him some questions was a thrill for me. I’m incredibly saddened to hear of his passing, yet comforted to see how well loved he and is by his community.
In some ways this journal I started was inspired by a talk of his I heard at the 2013 Camden International Film Festival. He had a number of musings and insights written on individual index cards that he thumbed through as he dropped knowledge and experience. It made me want to start recording my own.
Jonathan spoke about the editor needing to be an artist, and his words and perspective gave me courage to see the craft the way I had hoped I could.