A documentary director brings the world they experienced. An editor brings the world the audience can actually see. After twenty years in the edit room, I’ve learned that the best films emerge from the trust, honesty and creative tension between those two perspectives.

After more than twenty years editing documentaries for HBO, Netflix, Amazon and films that reached Cannes, I’ve learned that great editing isn’t really about footage—it’s about attention. These are the lessons the work has taught me about finding the real story, protecting the humanity of the people onscreen and knowing when to let go.