It begins with a shot of Howard Beale's (Peter Finch) silhouette on two TV monitors. The man is just about to start his famous speech which is now considered among the most memorable quotes in the history of cinema. A few seconds, and cut. Now we see the fervently speaking Howard from a distance and the shot also covers a studio camera and some of the TV crew. A dozen seconds or so, and cut. A short glimpse at the attentive Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway). Three seconds, and cut. Back to the previous shot. Only now the camera starts to move slowly towards Howard who's plunging into an idealistic fever; it covers each word, gesture, and detail of this fiery address. This almost ninety-second take is interrupted only twice, just for a few seconds, both times to glimpse the unmistakable reactions of Christensen. The rest of the time we get to see Finch's tour-de-force; he literally owns the whole screen with his passionate words and charismatic turn. It is only when Howard gets up and moves from his desk, thus accentuating his ranting about the progressing social indolence, that we get to see more dynamic cuts emphasizing the chaos brought about by this unpredictable man. Including one shot from the perspective of TV viewers observing with incredulity Howard's frantic actions. And two shots juxtaposing what Howard does in the studio with how the TV distorts his intentions. This scene from Sidney Lumet's Network is only a sample of the artistry and intuition of Alan Heim, the acclaimed editor who for over forty years has been a bedrock both to his directors and the editing community. We are very proud to announce that Alan Heim will receive at the 20th International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography PLUS CAMERIMAGEthe Award to Editor with Unique Visual Sensitivity.

Alan Heim
Network is a good point of reference to Heim's work, as it was Sidney Lumet who introduced him to the world of cinema. Their first joint project, 1968's The Sea Gull, helped Heim to better understand the powers of film editing; to learn what can and cannot be shown on the screen, and to be more aware of the need to take risks. It was not Lumet, though, but Bob Fosse who let Heim truly spread his wings. Starting with Lisa with a Z and Lenny, and then making All That Jazz and Star 80, this collaboration gave Heim the inspiration to seek new tools and ways of expression. His technique is brilliantly displayed in All That Jazz - the way in which his carefully considered cuts help to embrace the film's pace and smoothness is simply masterful. It also helps the viewer to immerse in the story. There are many more instances of that kind. In Tony Kaye's American History X, on which Heim worked with two other editors, the controversial teeth-crushing-on-the-curb scene did not become a cheap thrill, but it developed into something disturbingly lyrical, a prelude to what comes after. In Nick Cassavetes' The Notebook a regular kissing-in-the-rain scene was transformed through editing into an emotional, powerful symbol of romantic love.

Still from "Network"
Still from "All That Jazz"
Heim always followed a traditional editor's ethos of a professional who puts the good of the film as the top priority. When he had long takes of acting brilliance, as in the case of the before mentioned Network scene, he did not try to cut it, instead he allowed it to flourish. When he saw that something is not working, as when Lenny's creative assumptions were not appropriately fulfilled, he imagined new ways of supporting the director's way - in this case by juxtaposing fiction with reality. Being an editor conscious of cinema's tendency to manipulate, he tried to use his skills to emphasize the directors' visions, create strong characters and memorable situations. As in Milos Forman's Valmont in which he used the atmosphere of the era to tell the story. As in Jon Amiel's Copycat in which his surgical cuts made the suspense grow as high as ever. Heim always approaches his projects for what they are - he is not a slave of a screenplay, and when he sees something wrong, he is not afraid to say it. He perfectly understands the responsibility for the audiences' reactions that he has to bear on his shoulders.

Still from "Valmont"
Still from "The Notebook"
Alan Heim is also a great advocate of the art of editing, and an active member of the editing community. He is always eager to give a good piece of advice, and he openly enters into a conversation with everybody who wants to learn, it doesn't matter whether they are young editors, journalists interested in his work, or the viewers asking to better understand his vision of cinema. He co-produced the documentary on the history and technique of film editing, The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing directed by Wendy Apple, which has been shown all over the world, in schools and on television. In the years 2004-2008 he has been the president of the American Cinema Editors association, setting an example and instilling his editor's ethos onto the young professionals who will someday follow his footsteps. In 2012 he has been elected for another term. We consider it a great honor that Alan Heim will receive Plus Camerimage Award to Editor with Unique Visual Sensitivity. We are looking forward to this moment.



Selected filmography:

• The Sea Gull; 1968; dir.: Sidney Lumet, cin.: Gerry Fisher
• Lenny; 1974; dir.: Bob Fosse, cin.: Bruce Surtees
• Network; 1976; dir.: Sidney Lumet, cin.: Owen Roizman
• All That Jazz; 1979; dir.: Bob Fosse, cin.: Giuseppe Rotunno
• Valmont; 1989; dir.: Milos Forman, cin.: Miroslav Ondrícek
• Billy Bathgate; 1991; dir.: Robert Benton, cin.: Néstor Almendros
• Copycat ; 1995; dir.: Jon Amiel, cin.: László Kovács
• The Notebook; 2004; dir.y: Nick Cassavetes, cin.: Robert Fraisse
• Grey Gardens; 2009; dir.: Michael Sucsy, cin.: Mike Eley
• Gods Behaving Badly; 2012; dir.: Marc Turtletaub, cin.: Tak Fujimoto