In love with people and life                                            

Xi Feng 

role in Michka’s films

China Me                                                                               Assistant editor

A Great Day in Paris                                                           Editor

Mavericks                                                                              Editor

XF: We worked on three projects together, but we had a very strong personal relationship. I learned a lot from Michka about film, but at the same time she taught me a lot about life as an independent and creative woman.

 For China Me, we did a first assembly together, then we sent it to Mary[1] in Paris.  My role was mostly looking for precision — putting together the beginning and end of sentences and understanding intonations. Did people's expressions match what they were saying? We also worked on translations of the poetry.

Michka's films were impressive and very different from other films I had worked on. She didn't have a lot of rushes compared to big documentary productions. She had incredible precision with her characters and subjects. I learned a lot, especially with the film Mavericks, because they didn't have many days of shooting with the three characters. We often asked ourselves: "Do we have a film or not with these rushes?” And every time, even if she didn’t shoot much, she still managed to find a deep subject like Michel's story about food waste. This has become an urgent issue today so I think Michka was ahead of her time. With A Great Day in Paris, I thought at first she made the film because of her love of jazz. But in the end, there were very strong stories about racism. It made me reflect on how to decide what films to watch, and how to choose characters.

She also taught me to slow down because I was used to working very fast. I remember Michka saying to me once, "I notice that you don't look at what you've done.” I was insecure, preferring to keep working instead of looking at previous cuts as I went along.

 Before we started editing each film, she had already reviewed the rushes and made notes on the parts she wanted to keep. During the edit, I sometimes added my ideas, and it became more of a collaboration at that stage.

 MF: I remember she showed the first cut of A Great Day in Paris to Martin Duckworth.[2]  He was the one who suggested the parallel editing at the end between Ricky Ford leading the Big Band and gathering the musicians for the group photo in Montmartre. She had strong ideas but was still open.

XF: Yes, I think she had great respect for other people's ideas and at the same time she had clear preferences. You can have a lot of good ideas, but maybe they don’t always serve the film. When she didn't accept my ideas, it was always very clear to me why. It helped us keep moving in the same direction.

Then generally she taught me a lot about films, art, and literature. We talked a lot about the poetry of Zhai Yong Ming, a character in China Me. She was a poet who I liked a lot. I read her books in high school, and she also published a book about Frida Kahlo. That was my introduction to Frida.

MF: I know you and Michka both loved Frida Kahlo. We even went to Toronto to see the Frida and Diego Rivera exhibition. But I didn't know about the connection between Frida and Zhai Yong Ming.

XF: Michka and I talked a lot about Frida! She also talked a lot about her travels. It opened a door for me, a great universe of knowledge about the world, culture, art, and especially food! I learned how to eat an artichoke!

MF: You had a ritual where — at some point — you would stop editing and break for tea and biscuits.

XF: Sometimes I stayed for dinner and she cooked different things each time. It was never the same. I was always impressed and moved that she took such care.

 Michka taught me to exchange gifts. We gave each other little things when we saw each other right from the first time we met when she gave me a little card. Every time, I brought something back from China. I even sent her things. It got more and more outrageous. She also gave me a lot of her clothes. We used to go shopping. If I liked a dress a lot, she bought it for me.

MF: In Michka's computer, there are more pictures of you and her than anyone else.

XF: She told me that we were like sisters, even though there was a big age difference. We really felt like part of the same family.

MF: Did she give you any advice for life?

XF: I was a bit confused when I met Michka, full of self-doubt and insecurity. She took care of me and only ever said positive things. There was never any coldness in her words. She always gave me a lot of confidence. I think she showed me how to love people. She was intelligent and demanding in her thinking, but she could also be like a little girl. I know she went through a lot, but she chose to be in love with people and life. She was generous with her love.

MF: As you said, she had a childlike side that never lost.

MF: In Quebec, Michka was known for shooting only what she needed so there were not many rushes for most of her films. But with Beckett, it was the opposite, I guess. You had all the archives plus what she had shot.

XF: Yes, I think it's very important for artists to keep two sides. Childlike in the sense of always seeing the world with curiosity. To me, I think the biggest lesson Michka gave me was when I came back toward the end of her life. I was reassured that she did not spend too much time in hospital and was surrounded by people she loved. Despite all the conflicts and difficulties she went through, she still had a good life.

 MF: She understood that you came from China to see her at the end of her life, and she was waiting for you.

 XF: I think she's still protecting me.

[1] Mary Stephen, editor of China Me. .

[2] Martin Duckworth directed or co-directed more than 30 films, most with the National Film Board of Canada.