The Music of Mercy

TJ Volgare, the editor on LYNDA, offers some reflections on the themes of mercy and forgiveness that are relevant throughout the editing process.

When editing I have to make decisions about the logic of a sequence of scenes.  I have to know what the fundamental facts of a sequence are and where it comes to pass.  I need to know where it goes, when it turns, and how it ends.  “Lynda” makes this process complicated. because she’s essentially chosen to live a counter-intuitive life. This makes the plot of her life somewhat confusing and difficult to articulate. She’s decided to make illogical choices predicated on love and forgiveness. Her plot is not one based on self-interest. The logic of Lynda’s life is constantly on my mind and the mind of David as we assemble this documentary.  Essentially, to cut Lynda is to cut illogically.  Lynda’s son is murdered. Another son overdoses on opioids and loses his life as well. In response, Lynda acts illogically. She makes sacred choices.  She hunts butterflies on the anniversaries of their departures. She and her husband eat ice cream. She forgives the person who took her son’s life immediately and moves all her attention to others. She eventually finds herself in a circle with the relatives of inmates on death row making art. From there, she is motivated to reunite with James, the man who pulled the trigger.  

To cut Lynda is to cut illogically.  What is sacred is often illogical. The logic of Lynda’s life is sacred, her causations move to the music of mercy.

- TJ Volgare, editor LYNDA

For more about the film visit: www.exformativeentertainment.com/lynda