The film begins quietly with a conversation between movie director Sidney Pollack and architect Frank Gehry, two major American artists talking about the terror inherent in starting a new project, every single time.  Gehry and Pollack have been friends for several years, ever since High Falls Advisory Council member Suzanne Weil brought them together with just this outcome in mind.  Although this is Pollack’s first documentary, his experience and artistry are evident in the intimate feel of the story-telling and the gentle handling of the diverse cast of clients, colleagues, critics and assistants (plus Gehry’s shrink) from whom he elicits absorbing insights and anecdotes. The cinematography is a feast for the eyes, but the greatest strength of this documentary is the interaction between two men from very different disciplines who understand each other from the core.  As Pollack says, “We’ve spent a lot of time together bemoaning the difficulty of finding personal expressiveness within disciplines that make stringent commercial demands.”  Editor Karen Schmeer did a magnificent job of wrestling this material into an engrossing whole.  The viewer feels privileged to have this access to Gehry, his ideas and his work.  We thank Sydney, particularly for making it available to screen at High Falls. (Catherine Wyler)

Director: Sydney Pollack
Producer: Ultan Guilfoyle
Editor: Karen Schmeer

Karen Schmeer graduated from Boston University with a degree in Anthropology. She has been editing since 1995, beginning with Errol Morris' FAST, CHEAP & OUT OF CONTROL. Since then, she has gone on to edit many documentaries for film and television, including THEME: MURDER, WELL FOUNDED FEAR, MY FATHER, THE GENIUS, THE SAME RIVER TWICE, MR. DEATH and Academy Award-winning THE FOG OF WAR.