I am thrilled to announce that Chicago-based filmmaker Marianna Milhorat will be editing Roy’s World: Barry Gifford’s Chicago. I first came across her work earlier this year when I attended Chicago Film Archives’ annual Media Mixer at the Hideout. Drawing from more than 40 hours of footage culled from the collections of CFA, she collaborated with sound artist Brian Kirkbride to create a stunning video called “Sky Room.”
It immediately struck a chord with me. It’s eerie and funny and somehow poignant. And of course since CFA is going to be an important source of materials for Roy’s World, I also honed in on that. In describing her approach, she’s written, “I intercut multiple images, decontextualized from their particular geographies, into unified portraits of contemporary and shifting landscapes and environments.” In other words, putting the viewer into a visceral time and place. Exactly what I want my own film to do. The way her work straddles the (arbitrary) divide between “experimental” and “documentary” is really exciting. I know that her skills and perspective are going to be perfect when it comes to shaping Roy’s World.

Also, this will be the first time I haven’t edited my own work—and to be honest, it’s about time!

Her video this is not an anchor, this boat is not an anchor is screening this Sunday evening as part of Channels: A Quarterly Film Series at Cinema Borealis. I can’t wait to watch it on the big screen. Mark your calendar!