A documentary about internationally renowned film editor Jill Bilcock, that charts how an outspoken arts student in 1960s Melbourne became one of the world’s most acclaimed film artists.
I’m so excited to see the emergence of so many documentaries that showcase the contribution of women in film, I especially enjoy when the dialogue refers to positions within the industry that are primarily male-dominated. The story takes us through the life of Jill Bilcock, an Australian film Editor who has worked on some of the most prominent films of all time including “Moulin Rouge,” “Romeo & Juliet,” and “Road to Perdition.”
Traveling and working in many places like India, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia influenced the way Jill saw life and it also gave her a broader perspective on storytelling. She spent years working on commercials before making her way into movies and explains that editing is a form of storytelling. She stresses the importance is delivering an emotional response and guiding the audience while always keeping things moving with rhythm. Edgy and bold, Jill always steps out of her comfort zone and takes chances to make movies come alive and creates far more than the director expected. She loves the art of surprise and thinking outside the box. Jill describes editing as having truth and understanding the characters in a similar way that the actors do.
I love how this documentary reveals that the editing world is not just cutting film in some dark room, it is so much more than that, so much deeper, personal, and emotional. I was blown away at how much I learned about the editing process like creating parallel stories in which you connect different emotions of characters within one story or knowing how to create a perfect ending, and the art of knowing when to get out.
In film, you hardly ever hear about the editor. Praise is usually given to the director or actor(s) but you never understand how the film sequences, pivotal moments and captured emotions come together. This film will truly inspire you as it did me, to create and it will also change the way you see movies forever. In the Q&A after the screening, Jill said, “The audience is the most important part.”
“Jill Bilcock: Dancing the Invisible” recently had its U.S. Premiere at the Australian International Screen Forum in New York
