Film editing is a behemoth of a task, especially when it comes to documentaries. Sifting through decades of archival footage, juxtaposing them with recent interviews in a way that makes an impact, and establishing a unique voice and style throughout are integral to a documentary editor’s job.
Carla Gutierrez has managed to navigate this technical tightrope with expert precision — communicating deeply human stories in increasingly innovative ways across her body of work.
In recent years, Gutierrez has worked on a swath of documentaries, many of which pull back the curtain on historical heroes and events: “Chavela,” a portrait of trailblazing Mexican singer Chavela Vargas; “Farewell, Ferris Wheel,” an investigation of Mexican migrant workers and the American carnival industry; and “Reportero,” a look inside a wave of violence against journalists in Mexico.
However, Gutierrez’s most well-known work is probably Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s 2018 documentary “RBG,” which tells the story of the iconic Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“Justice Ginsburg had already told her personal story in interviews many times, but when you marry that narrative with historical and personal archival, you can uncover new emotional insights,” Gutierrez told Filmmaker Magazine. “We aimed to create intimacy by drawing from a number of different sources.”
The film is a fine example of Gutierrez’s work as an editor, especially in how she manages to bring light and humor to a subject that many might not have a lot of previous interest in: the Supreme Court.
“One of the biggest challenges we were facing when we were editing was, how the heck are we going to make the law interesting?” Gutierrez said at the Sight, Sound & Story: Post Production Summit panel. “How do you make an emotional connection? And that’s when we decided to use photographs of the woman. Because that’s what RBG was doing, she was humanizing an issue.”
“RBG” spends a lot of time in the present, featuring recent interviews with Ginsburg and getting sneak peaks into her daily life. With a lack of archival footage at her disposal, Gutierrez had to find another way to tell her story fully — utilizing photos, documents, and reflective interviews with people who knew her at different points of her life.
Gutierrez’s work hinges on identifying key moments, and how to best build up the appropriate momentum and tension to get the most emotional impact.
“You do have to think about rhythm [as an editor] — to give people time to actually react to things,” Gutierrez explained in an interview with Post Perspective. “I pay attention when I’m watching the footage early on. I pay attention to what makes me laugh, and to the things that make me feel something. Then I build around those moments.”
Gutierrez is also the editor of Kristine Stolakis’ upcoming documentary “Pray Away,” a powerful exposé on gay conversion programs told through intimate testimonies from current members and former leaders of the “pray the gay away” movement. “Pray Away” is an official selection for the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, Hot Docs 2020, and the 2020 Florida Film Festival.
“There are a lot of editors that ultimately want to jump into the director’s role, but I never had the desire to do that,” Gutierrez has said. “I love the collaboration that happens in the edit. I feel really lucky to be doing this kind of work.”
“RBG” is available on Hulu.
