June 2, 2026·Interview
Emma Backman
The film editor who cuts like a dancer on the music that unsticks her, and what keeping the body moving does for the work.
Emma Backman edits film with the rhythm and continuity that could only come from her past life as a dancer. Based between Stockholm and Berlin, the filmmaker came up through music videos and commercials before stepping into features with J.M. Harper's 2024 Sundance documentary As We Speak. She was an additional editor on the BAFTA-nominated Daughters and has a shelf of Ciclope, ADC, and Clio Gold from the commercial side. This June, she's among the editors on Alicia Keys: Girl From Hell's Kitchen, One9's documentary tracing the musician's path from her Manhattan childhood to the Broadway stage, closing out the Tribeca Festival. We talked to her about the music she turns to when stuck, the films and books that still hit, and what keeping the body moving actually does for the work.
What do you do when you hit a creative block?
I listen to music and try and get to the source of what I want the viewer of the film to feel when they watch my work. For me music is the highest art form. It makes me feel the most. I make a playlist and try and step away from the screen if I have the time.
What's the last film you watched that moved you deeply?
I rewatched C'mon C'mon by Mike Mills the other week and it hit me. The film shows humanity and small moments in life in a very poetic way. Simply beautiful.
What's the last article you sent to a friend?
Pope Leo Warns of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical
Who is your forever inspo?
Erykah Badu, Agnès Varda and Chloe Sevigny.
What book have you gifted most?
Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn is a book I gave to at least 5 of my friends. It was years of therapy bottled up in that book for me.
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