Observer

I had the pleasure of co-editing this feature documentary with writer and director Ian Cheney.

Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival 2025 Official Selection

SYNOPSIS:

In OBSERVER, filmmaker Ian Cheney embarks on an experiment in which he brings a series of keen-eyed observers - scientists, artists, a hunter - to a range of locations around the world, often without telling them where they are going, and asks them simply to describe what they see.

What unfolds is a deep exploration and celebration of the power of observation: what happens when you find new ways to sense and perceive the world around you? With customary whimsy and a small painted red square that Cheney brings on every journey, the film is an invitation to viewers to find beauty and meaning in even the most quotidian of locales.

CREDITS:

The Wonder Collaborative Presents

A Wicked Delicate Production

Produced by Meredith Desalazar, Rebecca Taylor, Manette Pottle

Director of Photography Ezra Wolfinger

Sound Recordist Tom Eichler

Edited by Sam Peisner and Ian Cheney

Music by Ben Fries and Simon Beins

Executive Producers Sarah Goodwin, Elliot Kirschner, Katy Chevigny

Written and Directed by Ian Cheney