It’s been months since the surprise passing of filmmaker Lynn Shelton. And though the loss came in a year that has seen no shortage of loss, Shelton’s death devastated many in the film industry, including her friends, colleagues, and of course, fans. And for Mark Duplass, who probably takes pride in being all three for Shelton, her loss is still being felt today, leading to him writing a beautiful tribute for The Guardian about his dear friend and collaborator.
The essay talks about his entire relationship with Lynn Shelton, beginning with his first time meeting the young filmmaker. And it was almost immediately that he first saw her love of cinema and her loyalty to her friends.
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“At one point, she told me about the opening scene to her then-latest film, ‘My Effortless Brilliance,’” said Duplass. “It was made with a budget of maybe two nickels, along with two of her male friends as the lead actors. In my experience, when an indie film-maker talks about their micro-budget film that didn’t set the world on fire, they either apologize for its faults or grumble about the lack of resources that limited its ability to shine. But it was different with Lynn. The way she talked about the film… there was so much love, in particular for the actors. The pure adoration of everything they did. Without an ounce of ‘and just you wait until I get Joaquin Phoenix in there.’”
He then ends his tribute by talking about his final collaboration with Shelton, during filming on the Apple TV+ series, “The Morning Show.” In this scenario, Duplass is the supporting actor and Shelton is the veteran filmmaker. And even still, Duplass said Shelton didn’t change a bit, even with her successes.
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“Later that day, I was able to watch her direct for a bit from the sidelines, to see that her love of the process, if anything, had only increased through the years,” he explained. “She took as much joy directing our leading movie stars as she did the performers of the bit-part roles, enveloping them all equally in her little cocoon of love, adoration, and support. And that is how I remember her most. So many great qualities, endless, really. But as a filmmaker who just loved her actors. Delighted in them. Made them feel absolutely certain that they were perfect exactly as they are.
You can read the entire tribute at The Guardian.
