David Stein

Today would have been David's 39th birthday.

I met him in 1997, when he came to make a video yearbook for my high school. I had already discovered my love for film, so I asked if I could help. He took me under his wing, and over the next couple of years, brought me out on commercials, documentaries and TV shows. And he would look at my little films, and give his honest feedback, often critical, but always constructive.

His goal was to direct his first feature by 35. In 2005, I came back from Christmas vacation and called to wish him a happy new year. Instead, I found out he had fallen ill and passed away. He was 34.

I owe David a lot. He was an inspiring example of a filmmaker, an artist, and a decent human being. But there is one piece of advice he gave that has shaped my life. He was the one who told me not to study film in undergrad. Instead I took history, and found my inspiration.

You can see one of David's music videos, "Chasenjah", by clicking here.