

RESIDUE
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD*
BEST EDITING
*not voted on by Film Independent members

Viewing Information
INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS — FILM #2 of 33
FEBRUARY 20, 2021
NETFLIX







BEST EDITING
Merawi Gerima
Film Synopsis
Residue chronicles aspiring filmmaker Jay (Nwachukwu), who returns to his native Washington, D.C. to find his old neighborhood is gentrified beyond recognition. Dealing with alienation from his friends, troubled by the disappearance of a loved one and unsure of his place in this new community, Jay confronts issues of identity, isolation and loss on a tumultuous personal journey.
Looking at Best Editing
There’s a point in “Residue” where you meet a young man fresh out of prison. He’s chatting with the protagonist’s father, reminiscing of their time as neighbors and being told to stay out of trouble. Later in the film, the father mentions his run-in with the young man fondly while looking through photographs. Immediately after, we’re looking at an arm dangling out of a vehicle, very clearly deceased. It’s the young man. The impact of that editing is like a literal punch to the stomach.
“Residue” is filled with impactful editing choices. How it will stack up against films like “Nomadland” and “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” will have to be seen. But those other films rely more on not editing, staying focused on a landscape or an emotional response, rather than creating a cut like physical violence. This is the first film Merawi Gerima has ever editing, so that should count for something.

BEST EDITING
RANKING
1. “Residue” — Merawi Gerima |




RELEASE DATE
September, 2020
DIRECTOR
Merawi Gerima
WRITTEN BY
Merawi Gerima
STUDIO
Array
NOT RATED
DRAMA
90 minutes






CINEMATOGRAPHER
Mark Jeevaratnam
COMPOSER
Ben Ford
Cam Poles
EDITOR
Merawi Gerima
CAST
Obinna Nwachukwu
Dennis Lindsey
Taline Stewart
Derron Scott
Jamal Graham
JaCari Dye
Julian Selman
Melody A. Tally
Ramon Thompson
PRODUCED BY
Alex J. Bledsoe
Mulu Gerima
Alexx Temena
BUDGET
>$500,000
