Brian Lindstrom obit

Brian Lindstrom Dies: Documentarian Was 65

 He was not on the list.

Documentarian Brian Lindstrom, who directed and produced Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill, died at the age of 65 yesterday morning, his wife, Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things author Cheryl Strayed, announced on Instagram.

“Brian Lindstrom died this morning the way he lived—with gentleness and courage, grace and gratitude for his beautiful life,” she wrote. “Our children, Carver and Bobbi, and I held him as he took his last breath and we will hold him forever in our hearts. The only thing more immense than our sorrow that Progressive Supranuclear Palsy took our beloved Brian from us is the endless love we have for him.”

“What tremendous luck it was to be his partner for more than thirty years. We loved each other and our kids with deep devotion and true delight. He was a stellar husband. He was the most magnificent dad. He was a man whose every word and deed was driven by kindness, compassion, and generosity. He saw the goodness in everyone. He believed that we are all sacred and redeemable,” she continued.

In her dedication, Strayed said Lindstrom was driven to shine on a spotlight on those “society puts an X through” through his feature films. “He erased that X with his camera and his astonishing heart. He made films about incarcerated moms and their kids, about people with mental illness and substance use disorders, about teens living in homeless shelters, foster care, and detention centers, about people who were at the bottom and trying to climb up.”

As a director, his credits include Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse, which he also co-wrote and produced, as well as shorts Mothering Inside and Community Acupuncture: The Calmest Revolution Ever Staged.

Strayed added, “He showed them to us so we’d see what he saw: that every one of us is deserving of love and respect; mercy and honor. Again and again, he went to the darkness to show us how much light is there. He was of service. He spoke truth to power. He measured his success by asking if his films made an impact—and they did. They saved programs and people; changed lives, policies, and minds. They made people feel seen, heard, and believed. They softened the world with their empathy.”

A rare neurological disorder that affects mobility, balance and eye movements, PSP is caused by damage to nerve cells in areas of the brain that control thinking and motor skills. The disease tends to progress rapidly.

Late last month, Strayed announced that Lindstrom had been diagnosed “with a serious, fatal illness.”

“His greatest legacy is Carver and Bobbi, who embody everything good and true about their father,” Strayed concluded in her remembrance post. “Their extraordinary grace, courage, and fortitude during this harrowing time was unfaltering and grounded in the undying love Brian poured into them every day of their lives. We do not know how we will live without him. We’re utterly bereft. We can only walk this dark path and search for the beauty Brian knew was there. It will be his eternal light that guides us.”