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In Memoriam: Honoring the Legacies of Our Colleagues
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In Memoriam: Jill Godmilow 1943-2025

Posted By SCMS, Sunday, September 21, 2025
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Jill Godmilow, acclaimed documentarian and Professor Emeritus of Film, Television, and Theatre at the University of Notre Dame. Godmilow was a fearless and innovative filmmaker whose works include Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman (1974, with collaborator Judy Collins, nominated for an Academy Award and selected for the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress), Far From Poland (1984), What Farocki Taught (1998), and Roy Cohn/Jack Smith (1994). Her films consistently challenged conventions of documentary form and pushed audiences to reconsider the politics of representation. Godmilow was also a deeply influential teacher and mentor whose rigorous, generous guidance shaped generations of filmmakers and scholars. At Notre Dame, she championed critical approaches to media and nurtured students with curiosity, creativity, and conviction. Beyond her own films, she contributed to the broader field through her writing and advocacy, including her influential book Kill the Documentary: A Letter to Filmmakers, Students, and Scholars, which Bill Nichols called “a manifesto" for post-realism in documentary. She will be deeply missed by her students, colleagues, and all who were inspired by her work. SCMS extends its heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and the wider community touched by her life and scholarship.

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