A Tribute to Film Editor Karen Schmeer (1970-2010)

I didn't know Karen Schmeer, but I know her work and it is remarkable.

I remember the first time I saw the extraordinary documentary "The Same River Twice" (2003) directed by Robb Moss. My initial reaction was that it was one of the most beautifully edited films I had ever seen, not a thought I often have in regards to documentaries. I spent the next several hours before I got home trying to think of another example of a documentary where the editing stood out so prominently. Inspiration finally struck. Errol Morris' "Fast, Cheap and Out of Control" (1997), of course! You can probably guess where I'm going with this. Schmeer edited both films. "Fast, Cheap and Out of Control" was actually her first professional credit, and she impressed Morris who feared the complex film to be "completely uneditable." Once I also learned that she attended Boston University at about the same time I did, I became a devoted fan and followed her career with great interest.

Karen Schmeer was killed in New York City on Friday night (Jan 29, 2010) when she was struck by a car driven by a robber attempting to escape from police. She was 39. Her death has sent shock waves through the documentary community where she was one of the most respected figures in her field. You don't need any more proof than the caliber of directors who sought her talents including Morris, Moss and Sydney Pollack for whom she edited "Sketches of Frank Gehry" (2005) which turned out to be the great director's final film. It was the second time she edited a documentary about an architect with Lucia Small's nifty "My Father, the Genius" (2002) also on her resumé.

Ms. Schmeer is best known for work with documentary titan Errol Morris though. In addition to "Fast, Cheap and Out of Control," she also edited "Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter Jr." (1999), Morris' television series "First Person" and the Oscar winning documentary "The Fog of War" in 2003. Ms. Schmeer was recently honored at Sundance (in 2009) with an award for her editing on the documentary "Sergio," directed by Greg Barker.

When I interviewed director Nina Davenport several years ago for her film "Parallel Lines," I was aware that she knew Karen Schmeer and I asked for her e-mail. When I told Ms. Davenport I hoped to do an interview, she said, "Oh, you're going to have a blast. She's so funny." I never followed up.

I didn't know Karen Schmeer, but I know her work and it is remarkable. And now she is gone.

More details are available from the New York Times and IndieWire from which the photo we've used on the left was taken.