Column | Two weeks ago I and so many others lost a great teacher

“Sorry, that I’m late!” He arrives with a loud noise, already quickly opening his briefcase.

We are in the small lecture hall of the main building of the University of Helsinki so that Professor Henry Bacon will show us his film clips and then we will have a discussion. Although about how Krzysztof Kieślowski The blue one (1993) at the beginning, the viewer begins to understand who the woman portrayed by Juliette Binoche is and why she is in the hospital.

“Well!” he exclaims, cheering himself on, and begins his familiar rant with technology. The clip won’t start playing. We laugh, a few people who are not familiar with the pattern look annoyed.

Bacon scratches his head, looks pleadingly at us and asks with a laugh, “Who can use this?”

And when the clip finally gets rolling, we’re completely under its spell.

Professor Henry Bacon (born 1957) died two weeks ago. Unexpectedly in the middle of the trip, weakened by a long illness.

Bacon could be made into a movie. He was an engineer who followed his passion and turned it into an amazing career.

In 2004, Bacon was appointed a professor at the University of Helsinki, in the field of film and television research. Pesti was supposed to last five years.

It didn’t actually end until June 2022. In a couple of decades, there was internationally acclaimed research, books and countless courses where Bacon met and encouraged students.

I was one of them. Over the years we became friends. We sent emails and went for coffee for the last time in May. Now I’m mourning my teacher’s departure, like so many others.

What made Bacon such a great teacher? He loved talking with students. Word rush: Bacon’s lectures were crowded.

He was also demanding – and suitably flexible. Bacon’s film analysis courses were revolutionary deep dives. At least before the corona virus, they could only be completed by participating on the spot.

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Henry Bacon loved talking to students.

I went to work alongside my studies. When I asked if I could be absent several times from the analysis course, Bacon was understanding, but said frantically: “We need you to talk, Jutta!”

Bacon was an excellent teacher because he was available, even later. When asked, I always received information about good interviewees from him.

He concluded his message:

“Best regards Henry”

The author is HS’s editorial manager.