Bruce Sinofsky, co-director of PARADISE LOST films, dead at 58

I am deeply saddened by the shocking news of the sudden death of Bruce Sinofsky. Bruce was an Oscar-nominated filmmaker known for his documentaries, most notably the Paradise Lost trilogy which chronicled the West Memphis Three case. His films Brother’s Keeper and Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (both made with his filmmaking partner and best friend Joe Berlinger, who has been posting some wonderful photos in tribute to Bruce on Twitter today) also met with critical and popular acclaim. Bruce and Joe also worked in recent years on the fascinating series Iconoclasts for the Sundance Channel.

I first met Bruce and Joe at a screening of Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills at the Kendall Theatre in Cambridge, Mass. They led a fascinating discussion afterwards with the audience, some of which I recounted in this article for The Witches’ Voice website in 1997. The pagan community became very interested in the case because Damien Echols, accused of being the “ringleader” in a so-called “occult” murder spree, was a practicing Wiccan at the time. Witchvox covered this case extensively for over a decade, including reviewing the second film in the trilogy, Revelations.

Bruce and Joe were at the screening of the film in New York City and I got to talk with them a bit afterwards; I remember Bruce joking with me about what we chose to eat from the buffet (he had fruit, I had cookies); he introduced me to his wife (energetic, beautiful and super-smart), and told me about his children. A few years later after his sixth child was born, Bruce joked that he could “no longer tell any of them apart” and I recall the bemused look on the face of this brilliant artist who was also a hard-working, compassionate family man. He also told me once that he had met his wife through a personal ad, back when they appeared in actual newspapers. Her family came from France and the two owned a home there. Talking with him about the set Memphis Three, it was obvious that he felt strongly about wanting to help them and that he was dedicated to doing whatever he could to help them get a second chance in court. But the Arkansas judge who ruled over the initial convictions continued to deny requests to reopen the case.

It began to seem as though the West Memphis Three might never be released, despite numerous appeals and lawyers working pro bono on their behalf. Activists both within and outside the pagan community continued to try and raise awareness and funds, but the wheels of justice were turning very slowly. Bruce and Joe had started working on a third film, which was having its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in the late summer of 2011. On August 19th came some deliriously wonderful and shocking news: the West Memphis Three, Damien Echols (on Death Row), Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. (both serving life sentences) were going to be released, after having served eighteen years behind bars. It was indescribably exciting, and all forms of news media were carrying the breaking story. Jason Pitzl-Waters of The Wild Hunt blog contacted me for a statement that day and this is what I said:

“Like many pagans, I’ve been following this case since 1996, when the first documentary film came out. It’s impossible to overstate how important PARADISE LOST was in raising awareness about this case, or how controversial it was. Many viewers were convinced after viewing it that the West Memphis Three were innocent and had been railroaded; but many other viewers thought justice had been done. Certainly that is the sign of an effective documentary film that allows viewers to take in the events and make their own decisions; anyone who has yearned for justice in this case can’t help but be grateful to Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky for their part in documenting this case. It’s hard for me to believe these men have been freed. I hope whatever surreal feelings that Damien, Jason and Jessie and their loved ones are having now will very quickly give way to celebrating their hard-won freedom.” 

The third film in the Paradise Lost series (titled Purgatory) which had, fittingly perhaps, ended with the three still imprisoned, had to be recut to include footage of their release. I saw the film at the New York Film Festival a few weeks later; Damien, Jason and Jessie were in attendance, as were Bruce and Joe, to answer questions afterwards. It was a very emotional night, one I will not soon forget, being in the same room with those three brave men and the two brave filmmakers who worked for many years to publicize their plight and help right the injustice to their wrongful incarceration.

That autumn, a friend and fellow film critic told me that Bruce had said he planned to retire and move to France, now that the West Memphis Three had been released. It didn’t surprise me at all, to learn this. It was gratifying to know that he acknowledged the role his work and personal efforts had played in saving the lives of these men. How many of us can say that our efforts have made such a dramatic impact, that we have furthered the cause of justice and alleviated the suffering of others? Documentary films often illuminate the dramatic extremes of human behavior; the Paradise Lost films showed some of humanity’s darker moments. Bruce and Joe illuminated that darkness, bearing light upon the truth and the need for rightness to prevail. They never gave up on this cause, as hopeless as it must have seemed at times.

I sent Bruce a short email after learning the news on August 19th, 2011. I thanked him for his part in helping free Damien, Jason and Jessie. He responded, only a sentence or two, but with such simple, heartfelt words that reminded me of his kindness, humor and effortless optimism. I hope that Bruce’s life in the years that followed were filled with joy and gratitude for having made such a huge difference, for having inspired countless people to hold onto their convictions, their hope, and their integrity. I am sad for his friends, family and colleagues who will no longer have this extraordinary man in their lives. I know that for me, knowing he was out there always made the world a better place.