{{Short description|2024 English documentary film}} {{Infobox film | name = Her Name Was Moviola | image = | caption = | alt = | director = Howard Berry | producer = Howard Berry | writer = Walter Murch | starring = {{plainlist| * Walter Murch * Dan Farrell * Howard Berry * Mike Leigh }} | cinematography = George Nicholls | editing = Howard Berry | studio = The Curators!<ref>{{cite web |url=http://film-directory.britishcouncil.org/her-name-was-moviola |title=British Council Film: Her Name Was Moviola}}</ref> | released = {{Film date|df=y|2024|6|14|world premiere}} | runtime = 70 minutes | country = United Kingdom | language = English | budget =

}}

'''''Her Name Was Moviola''''' is a 2024 English documentary film written by Walter Murch, produced and directed by Howard Berry. It stars Murch and Dan Farrell, with an appearance by Mike Leigh.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Bradshaw |first=Peter |date=2024-06-14 |title=Her Name Was Moviola review – ode to editing machine a geekgasm for analogue fans |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jun/14/her-name-was-moviola-review-ode-to-editing-machine-a-geekgasm-for-analogue-fans |access-date=2024-07-27 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

The film premiered at Sheffield DocFest<ref name=":3" /> and was nominated for an ACE Eddie Award<ref name=":0" /> and an RTS Award,<ref name=":2" /> winning the latter in 2025.

==Plot== Beginning with an explanation of the intended film recreation before the separate 35mm picture and mag stripe audio reels arrive, Dan Farrell as assistant editor, proceeds to synch the rushes together, before they are screened to Murch on a Steenbeck at the Stanley Kubrick estate. Returning back to the cutting room, Farrell adds edge numbers to both the picture and audio on an Acmade numbering machine and then, breaks the reels into individual shots.

After a demonstration of how the Moviola works, Murch talks about his approach to visualising the edit, before he cuts two scenes from ''Mr. Turner''. Using an editing bench and Acmade synchroniser, as well as the titular Moviola, the pair cut and assemble the rushes while discussing the process and considerations an editor goes through. Finally the finished edit is taken back the Kubrick Steenbeck and presented to Mike Leigh, in order for Murch to receive feedback from the director.

==Production== Berry approached Mike Leigh to see if he would allow him and Murch to use footage from one of his films, in order to demonstrate the historical film editing methods, and after explaining the project in detail, Leigh allowed them full access to his work.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Production began in August 2022, at BBC Elstree Centre. Filming of the dailies review, and final edit with Mike Leigh, were filmed in Childwickbury Manor. Studio shots with Berry introducing the equipment were filmed at the University of Hertfordshire. Many of the crew of the film were lecturers, students or graduates from Berry's courses at the University.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Herts lecturer collaborates with Hollywood legend Walter Murch for new film |url=https://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/news-and-events/news/2024/herts-lecturer-collaborates-with-hollywood-legend-walter-murch |access-date=2025-10-22 |website=www.herts.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref>

==Release and reception== ''Her Name Was Moviola'' debuted on 14 June 2024, at Sheffield DocFest,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Carey |first=Matthew |date=2024-05-08 |title=Sheffield DocFest Announces 2024 Lineup, Including Tilda Swinton Feature Directorial Debut, Talks By Idris Elba, Walter Murch, Roger Ross Williams |url=https://deadline.com/2024/05/sheffield-docfest-2024-lineup-announcement-1235908348/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> and in North America, at the 51st Telluride Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hammond |first=Pete |date=2024-08-29 |title=Telluride Film Festival Lineup Includes 'Saturday Night', 'The Piano Lesson', 'Conclave' & 'Nickel Boys' World Premieres |url=https://deadline.com/2024/08/telluride-film-festival-2024-lineup-1236071936/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Critical response=== Peter Bradshaw of ''The Guardian'', in a four star review, recognised the "radical approach" by eschewing traditional interviews and archive material in favour of a full reconstruction, and described the film as a "geekgasm".<ref name=":1" /> Robert Daniels, writing for ''RogerEbert.com'', described the film as "movie magic", and praised it as "not just a wonderful experimentation, but also a necessary chapter in film history that shows the craft, the patience, and the thought process behind filmmaking".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-05 |title=Wrapping Up My Experiences at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/wrapping-up-my-experiences-at-the-2024-telluride-film-festival |access-date=2026-03-07 |website=www.rogerebert.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Accolades=== On 11 December 2024, the ACE announced<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=December 11, 2024 |title=75TH ANNUAL ACE EDDIE AWARDS |url=https://americancinemaeditors.org/eddie-winners/ |access-date=December 12, 2024 |website=ACE}}</ref> the film had been nominated for an Eddie Award in the category of Best Edited Documentary Feature. The awards ceremony was due to be held on 18 January 2025, but was postponed to 13 March 2025 due to the Southern California wildfires.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/artisans/awards/american-cinema-editors-eddie-awards-postponed-2025-1236273668/|title=American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards Postponed|website=Variety|date=13 January 2025|access-date=17 January 2025}}</ref> The film won a Royal Television Society East Programme award, in the category of Craft Editing.<ref name=":2" />

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Award ! Year ! Category ! Nominee(s) ! Result ! {{Refh|multi=yes}} |- |ACE Eddie Awards |2025 |Best Edited Documentary Feature |Howard Berry | {{nominated}} | align="center" |<ref name=":0" /> |- |BAFTSS Practice Awards |2025 |Practice Research |Howard Berry | {{Runner-up}} | align="center" |<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 5, 2025 |title=BAFTSS Practice Awards Results 2025 |url=https://www.baftss.org/winners-prac-2025.html |access-date=June 3, 2025 |website=BAFTSS}}</ref> |- |RTS East Programme Awards |2025 |Craft Editing |Howard Berry | {{won}} | align="center" |<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=March 5, 2025 |title=RTS East Programme Awards 2025 Winners Announced |url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-east-programme-awards-2025-winners-announced |access-date=July 1, 2025 |website=RTS}}</ref> |- |MeCCSA Outstanding Achievement Awards |2025 |Practice Based Research of the Year |Howard Berry | {{won}} | align="center" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=MeCCSA Outstanding Achievement Awards – 2025 – MeCCSA |url=https://www.meccsa.org.uk/meccsa-outstanding-achievement-awards/meccsa-outstanding-achievement-awards-2025/ |access-date=2025-10-15 |website=www.meccsa.org.uk |language=en-US}}</ref> |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website|https://moviolathemovie.com}} * {{IMDb title|16384866}}

Category:2024 English-language films Category:2024 documentary films Category:2024 films Category:English-language documentary films