Doc Society co-founder Jess Search has died at the age of 54, weeks after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Search recently stood down from the non-profit international documentary funder and producer after what she described as “18 years of nonstop creative collaboration, dedicated craft, joyous partying and fierce camaraderie”.
She signed off with the words of poet Gary Snyder: “To climb these coming crests, one word to you, to you and your children: stay together, learn the flowers, go light.”
A former Channel 4 commissioner, Search set up the previous incarnation of Doc Society, the Britdoc Foundation, which funded and championed docs from around the world.
She also co-founded Shooting People, an online filmmakers community active in the UK and New York.
Search’s film-making credits as executive producer include 2015 Emmy nominee Virunga, 2023 doc Queendom and 2020’s Welcome to Chechnya.
Virunga: Jess Search was an executive producer of Emmy-nominated doc
Doc Society is run with a flat management and will continue under its five remaining directors: Megha Sood, Shanida Scotland, Sandra Whipham, Maxyne Franklin and Search’s partner Beadie Finzi.
The directors jointly paid tribute to Search, describing her as “a beloved partner and parent, a brilliant friend, an industry catalyst, master campaigner, consummate producer, preternatural public convener, and mentor to many”.
They added: “Jess leaves a global family who we know will continue to speak out on injustice, challenge the status quo and live lives of purpose with love in their hearts. We consider ourselves to be Lucky F***ers to stand beside all of you.”
Their tribute in full:
Yesterday morning, our dear Jess Search died peacefully in London, England, from brain cancer. She was surrounded by the love of her life Beadie Finzi, their children Ella and Ben, and friends.
As a fierce supporter of independent artists and co-founder of Doc Society, Jess spent the weeks following her diagnosis focused on her passions laid out in her recent announcement, No Time Like the Present. Her greatest wish was to continue to secure the Doc Society mission of unleashing the transformational power of documentary film to address the two critical and intertwined issues of climate change and democracies in crisis.
Jess lived fully these last few weeks. In characteristic humour, she responded to her diagnosis by considering herself a “Lucky F***er,” having lived a life of purpose on her own terms. She continued to send late-night voice memos, order rounds of margaritas, and bring together an amalgam of global comrades around the shared mission of vital system-shifting narrative work to change the world for the better.
To the horror of some, she did all this while sporting a pair of hot pink Crocs, with socks and jibbitz, in glorious contrast to her trademark white suit she rocked at Good Pitches all over the world.
Jess and her loved ones have been immersed in all the shared memories and love from friends, family and the community since the news of her diagnosis. We have been exchanging poetry and share with you one on the top of her rotation, David Whyte reading his poem ’Santiago’.
A beloved partner and parent, a brilliant friend, an industry catalyst, master campaigner, consummate producer, preternatural public convener, and mentor to many, Jess leaves a global family who we know will continue to speak out on injustice, challenge the status quo and live lives of purpose with love in their hearts. We consider ourselves to be Lucky F***ers to stand beside all of you.
Thank you Jess, we love you. Always."
