Filmmaker Brian Lindstrom dies at 65

Brian Lindstrom, the Portland documentary filmmaker whose work focused on addiction, incarceration, mental illness and other lives at the margins, died on May 15 at 65, according to statements from his wife, author Cheryl Strayed, and multiple obituary reports. Strayed said in an Instagram post that Lindstrom died Friday morning after a recent diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disease. The Los Angeles Times reported his death on May 15 and described a body of work built around underdogs and people “society puts an X through.” Oregon outlets, including The Oregonian/OregonLive and Willamette Week, also published obituaries the same day. ### What did Cheryl Strayed say when she announced his death? Cheryl Strayed said on May 15 that “Brian Lindstrom died this morning,” adding that she and their children were with him at the end. The announcement came about two weeks after she disclosed that he had been diagnosed with what she called a fatal illness. Entertainment and local reports identified that illness as progressive supranuclear palsy. (latimes.com) May 15 accounts from People-derived and local coverage said Strayed described Lindstrom as a husband and father whose family had been together for more than 30 years. Reports also named their two children, Carver and Bobbi, in recounting her statement. ### Which films made Lindstrom known in Oregon and beyond? (msn.com) “Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse,” released in 2013, was among Lindstrom’s best-known films and examined the death of a Portland man with schizophrenia after a police encounter. His later work included “Mothering Inside,” a 2015 short documentary about incarcerated mothers, and “Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill,” a film on the singer-songwriter Judee Sill. (msn.com) Port Townsend Film Festival’s 2025 juror biography said Lindstrom’s films explored personal transformation and resilience and highlighted “Finding Normal,” a feature about recovery and reentry. The same biography described him as a Portland-based filmmaker whose work screened in theaters, prisons and festivals across the Pacific Northwest. ### How was his work described by people who covered it? (imdb.com) The Los Angeles Times said Lindstrom made documentaries about underdogs that helped spur social change. Willamette Week said many of his subjects were people in Oregon living with addiction, mental illness or homelessness. Oregon ArtsWatch called him one of the state’s most respected documentary filmmakers. The Hollywood Reporter said Lindstrom focused on people whom “society puts an X through,” attributing that description to the way his work was understood after his death. (ptfilm.org) That framing matched the record of films centered on people who had been criminalized, institutionalized or pushed outside public view. ### What is progressive supranuclear palsy? (latimes.com) Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare, progressive neurological disorder that affects movement, balance, vision, speech and thinking, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive’s obituary report. Obituary coverage said Strayed had revealed the diagnosis only weeks before Lindstrom’s death. (hollywoodreporter.com) May 16 trade coverage and May 15 local reports said the illness had advanced quickly enough that Lindstrom’s death followed soon after the public disclosure. Those reports did not indicate any memorial plans or public service details. ### Where does this leave the public record of his life and work? The Los Angeles Times obituary published on May 15 remains one of the main national accounts of Lindstrom’s death and career, while OregonLive, Willamette Week and Oregon ArtsWatch published local remembrances with additional reporting on his films and community standing. (oregonlive.com) IMDb and festival biographies list “Alien Boy,” “Mothering Inside,” “Finding Normal” and “Lost Angel” among the projects most closely associated with him. (deadline.com) As of May 17, publicly available reports centered on Strayed’s May 15 statement, the diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy and Lindstrom’s filmography, with no later announcement yet cited in the obituary coverage about funeral arrangements or a memorial date. (latimes.com)