December 14, 2020: "Cameraperson" is, to me, a perfect movie - the sort of perfect that resulted in a song from the soundtrack on my annual mixtape draft, and my computer littered with screenshots, like this one, of quotes that made me so happy I audibly reacted to them. Watching your favorite movie before and after a huge, new job in the film industry and loving it even more afterwards is a genre of endorsement I'd never previously considered, but is perhaps the most potent available. Kirsten Johnson meets my platonic ideal for any artist: she wants people in on the joke; she knows that nothing truly good happens without permission (there are exceptions to this, but they are few and far between). She elevates collaboration! She understands that the best jokes happen at absolutely no one's expense. She is the perfect prankster, with an indelibly kind heart at her core. Kirsten Johnson also appears to be a perfect person; I felt a deep vicarious triumph that "Dick Johnson Is Dead" displays not a single bit of sophomore syndrome, which people are so often eager to hoist upon non-classical filmmakers, particularly ones who happen not to be straight white men. Through running all over town screaming my adoratipn, I also confirmed with filmmaker friends who know her that she's incredibly decent, on top of being funny and stylish and capable of a fabulous stunt like getting married at Sundance. They say don't meet your heroes, but the truth is it took tremendous willpower not to proffer myself as prospective crew; I'm unshakably sure she would not disappoint. And I know she's got a hell of a lot to teach me. ("Cameraperson" is on Criterion and "Dick" is on Netflix and I recommend watching both, repeatedly, immediately.)