Film is a medium which allows us to share an experience. This might take place at any point in time and with any set of circumstances but at its essence, film is about a unified sharing of an experience. There is no closer relationship in this process of filmmaking than that of director and editor. The ability of an audience to perceive the emotional intent of a story resides in this collaboration. Director Linjie Huang refers to editor April Liu, with whom she collaborated on the film Chasing Jupiter, as truly extraordinary in her abilities declaring, “April has a gift for shaping stories with heart and intention. She doesn’t just cut images together—she reveals layers of emotion and meaning that deepen the audience’s experience. She approaches editing with empathy, patience, and a strong sense of intuition, which makes every project with her feel alive and deeply resonant. April brings out the best in the films she touches, and I feel fortunate to have partnered with her.” There’s an abundance of evidence which confirms this in Chasing Jupiter. Though it might be the simple story of a woman and her dog, this film reminds us that a commitment of love can be too often taken for granted in today’s world. This story prompts us to be the better version of ourselves. 

  Tara (actress Flora Hwang), one of the film’s two main characters, is a proxy for the audience. She is hyper-focused on astrophotography to a point that borders on obsession. The fixation she has is communicated through tight cuts of hands adjusting knobs, the scratching of pencil on paper, and the sound of her breath. This editing tactic establishes a sense of anxious anticipation. While her drive might be admirable, Tara’s tunnel vision implies that she is perhaps more concerned with the process than the beauty of what surrounds her with a myopic perspective. The catalyst for the unravelling of Tara’s plan is found in the vehicle of her dog Cosmo who knocks over her tripod. Cosmo is eager and happy while Tara is visibly unhappy and frustrated with the situation. Comedy and tension are siblings in this moment, with jump cuts between Tara’s face and the toppling tripod establishing a sense of slapstick comedy. As this escalates, Tara breaks down into tears while the camera lingers on her. Her despondency is unvarnished as she sits amidst the destruction. In the most endearing moment of this story, Tara appears to have the revelation that life and the world are to some extent out of our control, revealing the importance of recognizing the love that is offered freely to us. As she strokes Cosmo’s fur, she lifts her camera up to begin once again, but with a more enlightened approach. The juxtaposition of the cosmic and the personal are potent in this scene. Tara’s newfound acceptance that life’s beauty lies in shared imperfection speaks profoundly. 

  Only in contemplating “what could have been” with Chasing Jupiter can one come to an understanding of how exceptionally skilled Ms. Liu’s editing actually is. “A woman’s photography is interrupted by her dog”, this single sentence might generalize the plot of the film but it communicates no sense of emotional depth. Through discussions with Linjie Huang and her own perception of the footage captured, April has sculpted the type of cathartic journey that borders on spiritual in its message. The skill of any great artist lies not in spectacle but in the ability to reach into different people from different walks of life and remind them of the humanity that we all share in our emotions. Chasing Jupiter may only be a story about a woman and her dog but the manner in which it is told makes it a primer for how to be a human being who lives for the present and appreciates the good things rather than focusing on impediments. What April Liu’s editing has achieved in this capacity is astounding. Audiences and filmmakers alike agree with this as Chasing Jupiter received the Grand Prize at the prestigious Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (an Oscar and BAFTA qualifying film festival) in addition to being an official selection of numerous others including Dances With Films and the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival.