“I just feel so blessed to be able to do what I set out to do, which is edit films. And I didn’t ever think that I wasn’t going to be able to do that, because I think my parents definitely raised us as “if you want it, go after it.” They never, ever didn’t tell us how hard it was going to be. They always were very, very cognizant of the fact that it’s always going to be a little bit harder for us based off of the color of our skin. But that was never a deterrent for me. I was like, ‘oh yeah, now I want to be an editor. I want to edit films.’ And that’s what I set out to do.” – Joi McMillon, episode 235 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
This week, director Janicza Bravo and editor Joi McMillon join us for a special roundtable episode around their film, Zola (4:42). We begin with listener questions (7:30) before diving into when the film clicked in the editing room (12:46), the experience of watching the first assembly cut (24:00), the joys and difficulties of the notes process (30:46), and the genius of the movie’s sound design (39:25). Then, before we go, Janicza and Joi reflect on Zola’s timeline (48:50), finding self-worth in filmmaking (54:30), and the space they hope to create for themselves in the years ahead (56:48).
Show notes
- Zola is now available to watch on demand. You can also still buy tickets here.
- Listen to Janicza & Joi on the A24 podcast.
- Illustrations by: Krishna Shenoi.