Crafting Connection: The Editors Behind 'Daughters'

In this episode of No Film School, we dive into the editing process behind Daughters, the heart-wrenching and beautifully crafted documentary that follows four young girls preparing for a father-daughter dance with their incarcerated fathers. Editors Troy Lewis and Adelina Bichis take us inside their process, from shaping the raw footage to balancing the film’s emotional weight and ensuring the story was told ethically and collaboratively.Daughters premiered at Sundance, is shortlisted for the Academy Awards, and is now streaming on Netflix. If you haven't seen it yet, this conversation will give you a whole new appreciation for the craftsmanship behind the film.In this episode, No Film Schools’s GG Hawkins, Troy Lewis, and Adelina Bichis discuss::The unique editing process, with Troy shaping the early cuts and Adelina refining the final versionHow they structured the massive amount of footage into a cohesive storyUsing index cards, beat sheets, and writing techniques in documentary editingThe challenges of weaving together multiple character arcsEthics in documentary filmmaking and ensuring psychological safety for subjectsThe portrayal of masculinity and fatherhood in DaughtersEditing tools and techniques that helped shape the final cutAdvice for aspiring editors and documentary filmmakersSubscribe to the No Film School Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogleGet your question answered on the podcast by emailing podcast@nofilmschool.com Listen to more episodes of the No Film School podcast right here: This episode of The No Film School Podcast was produced by GG Hawkins.

Mar 6, 2025 - 20:36

Crafting Connection: The Editors Behind 'Daughters'

In this episode of No Film School, we dive into the editing process behind Daughters, the heart-wrenching and beautifully crafted documentary that follows four young girls preparing for a father-daughter dance with their incarcerated fathers. Editors Troy Lewis and Adelina Bichis take us inside their process, from shaping the raw footage to balancing the film’s emotional weight and ensuring the story was told ethically and collaboratively.

Daughters premiered at Sundance, is shortlisted for the Academy Awards, and is now streaming on Netflix. If you haven't seen it yet, this conversation will give you a whole new appreciation for the craftsmanship behind the film.

In this episode, No Film Schools’s GG Hawkins, Troy Lewis, and Adelina Bichis discuss::

The unique editing process, with Troy shaping the early cuts and Adelina refining the final version
How they structured the massive amount of footage into a cohesive story
Using index cards, beat sheets, and writing techniques in documentary editing
The challenges of weaving together multiple character arcs
Ethics in documentary filmmaking and ensuring psychological safety for subjects
The portrayal of masculinity and fatherhood in Daughters
Editing tools and techniques that helped shape the final cut
Advice for aspiring editors and documentary filmmakers

Subscribe to the No Film School Podcast on:

Get your question answered on the podcast by emailing podcast@nofilmschool.com

Listen to more episodes of the No Film School podcast right here:

_{This episode of The No Film School Podcast was produced by GG Hawkins.}