Right at the start of getting settled into filmmaking in New York, I met Herman. First at ACV, then at many of AsianAmerican gatherings, festivals, parties, and more. He was one of the people you could always walk up and begin a conversation as though no time had passed. Over the years I hired him to work with us on Passion for Justice. Great presence on the set and a good shooter. Its great to see the many colleagues, friends and new generation filmmakers on this page who were trained by him as evidence of his impact. Being forced to put this all into perspective now due to his untimely passing is just too sad. He innately understood the value of making himself available, how that could impact community he was very present, very giving and created a lineage of filmmakers of color. I remember calling him up after not having had much contact with him and talking about teaching. He shared his insights, we laughed a lot and I felt like someone else was behind me even though we hadnt seen each other in years. I also remember him very early on as a young dad, talking to his daughter once. He was telling her that beauty is on the inside, not just the outside. So smart, it moved me to see a father parent his daughter in that way. Its painful knowing we hadnt spoken much in the last few years, and his absence is felt. Condolences to everyone whose lives he impacted.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 15:05:52 +0000