ifs Encounter: Edimotion with »Whiplash«
Wednesday, 17 September 2025 | 7 PM
Free admission
Filmforum NRW | Kino im Museum Ludwig
Bischofsgartenstr. 1 | 50667 Cologne
ON THE BIG SCREEN:
»Whiplash«
USA 2014, Director: Damien Chazelle, Montage: Tom Cross, 106 Min., OV with German subtitles; Feature Film with Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons and others
Followed by a film talk with editor David J. Achilles, moderated by Kyra Scheurer, Artistic Director Edimotion
The film will be shown in its original language with German subtitles. The film talk will be in German.
The teacher-student drama WHIPLASH explores the fine line between motivation and abuse and, in a cat-and-mouse game that is as precise as it is gripping, asks what price art justifies: Andrew plays his fingers bloody on the drums in search of recognition from his intimidating mentor Fletcher, whose fascinating menace causes him to suffer increasing anxiety attacks. Fletcher, driven by the search for the next big talent, exploits every musical and psychological weakness of his students, certain that true talent will prevail even against psychological terror – at the same time, he knows how to create a semblance of warmth and thus generate hope again. Fletcher's degrading methods ultimately cost him his job, and Andrew also loses a lot before the two face each other again in a furious musical duel.
Tom Cross, who won numerous awards and was nominated for an Oscar in 2017 for his editing of LA LA LAND, received an Oscar, a British Academy Film Award, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award, the Gold Derby Award and the Independent Spirit Award for his work on WHIPLASH. Fellow editor David J. Achilles also considers it one of the best editing performances in film history: ‘The dynamics of this film editing are breathtaking. Acceleration, deceleration and a virtuoso use of cinematic means based on brilliant storytelling. Film craftsmanship at its best and cuts as precise as the notes in a damn good piece of music.’
David J. Achilles first trained as a film and video editor before studying editing at the Film University Babelsberg. For his editing work on his graduation film BREAKING HORIZONS, he received the New German Cinema Award at the 2012 International Film Festival in Hof, and he was nominated for the German Television Award for the television film GRENZGANG (Border Walk). David J. Achilles has been working as a freelance film editor in Berlin since 2003. He wrote the book “Die Kunst der Auslassung – Montage im szenischen Film” (The Art of Omission – Editing in Scenic Film) and has been involved in the production of numerous documentaries and award-winning scenic works. His cinema work includes CLEO, TRÄUME SIND WIE WILDE TIGER (Dreams Are Like Wild Tigers) and ELLBOGEN (Elbow). He was nominated for the German Film Award and the Filmstiftung NRW Editing Award for Feature Film at Edimotion 2024 for his editing work on FALLING INTO PLACE.
In the series ifs Encounter: Edimotion, we ask editors to choose their personal favourite films, whose outstanding editing they would like to present.
An event organised by Edimotion – Festival für Filmschnitt und Montagekunst in cooperation with the ifs International Filmschule Köln, as part of the Filmforum NRW e.V., sponsored by the Cultural Office of the City of Cologne.
