The sound mixer for “Nomadland” production Michael Wolf Snyder died of suicide, according to his father, David Snyder. He was 35 years old.
Snyder’s body was found in his Queens, NY, apartment by his father on March 1, after friends and family had not heard from him for several days.
David, a psychiatrist, posted a message on Facebook on March 4. “Michael took his own life sometime last week and was not discovered until I went to see how he was on Monday after he was out of touch for several days,” he wrote. “He has had severe depression for many years. For most people, this is a disease that increases and decreases over the years. I’m sure it was difficult for Michael to have spent most of last year alone in his small apartment in Queens, being responsible for dealing with the coronavirus. Despite that, we all believed he was fine and, for most of last year, I think he was. He seemed especially cheerful and refreshed in the past few months, as he was able to return to work on several different film projects. He certainly was thrilled with all the praise for Nomadland and told us a lot of happy stories about his work on the film and the amazing people he spent time with. “
Snyder also worked with “Nomadland” director Chloé Zhao on “The Rider” 2017. “In ‘The Rider’ and ‘Nomadland’, I always looked at Wolf after each shot,” said Zhao. “I didn’t use headphones on set, so I trusted Wolf a lot to be my ears. He waved at me with a happy smile, or tears in his eyes, or sometimes he quietly signaled ‘one more’. During ‘The Rider’, Wolf suggested an idea that we later brought to ‘Nomadland’ – recording room tones for longer than necessary as a chance to experience silence. After touring each location, we sat together, in silence, attuned, listening and honoring the world around us and each other. I will always miss him. He would always be with me on the set, after each take, and in the silence of every tone in the room. See you on the road, my friend. “
“Nomadland” star Frances McDormand said in a statement: “Wolf recorded our heartbeat. Every breath we take. To me, he is ‘Nomadland’. “
A statement released on behalf of the entire cast and crew of “Nomadland” says: “While our hearts are breaking with the loss of Wolf, we hope it will be a comfort to know that your spirit will live forever on every laugh he recorded, on every breeze, and every gallop of a horse. He was part of our little film family and his kind soul touched all of us. Wolf really brought our film to life. We send our condolences to your family on behalf of the entire ‘Nomadland’ company. See you on the way, sweet friend. “
Searchlight Pictures said in a statement, “We extend our deepest condolences to Wolf’s family and our friends, the ‘Nomadland’ company.”
Snyder started his career in 2011 as a boom operator in the thriller “Ocupante”. On the television side, his credits include Amazon’s “Good Omens”.
“It’s sad to hear that Montana sound man M Wolf Snyder has passed away,” wrote “Nomadland” star Charlene Swankie on her Facebook page on Saturday morning. “Wolf had great focus, a kind heart and an indelible spirit. He made the sound in ‘Nomadland.’ So, if you watch this magnificent film, stop for a moment, close your eyes and listen to all the beauty it has captured. “
Director Yuval David also logged on to Facebook to express his condolences. “Take a moment of ambient tone in the loving memory of M. Wolf Snyder,” he wrote. “Michael Wolf Snyder was the award-winning super-cool sound mixer who recorded the set’s audio for the last feature film I directed. His tragic loss is painfully heard. No matter what the noise or the silence, check people out to make sure no one feels alone. Depression leads people to dark despair. Be the light to help them – even if you think they already have a light, give them an extra light of love, kindness and hope. “
Read David Snyder’s full Facebook post below:
Hello again. I am David Snyder, father of Michael Wolf Snyder. Your mother, brother and I were very touched by the demonstration of love and support that we saw on Facebook. We always knew how much Wolf loved his film work; it was the brightest point of his life. We had no idea how many people he had touched and how many held him in such high regard. I would like to share a little more about what happened in the hope that it can help others.
Michael took his own life sometime last week and was not discovered until I went to see how he was on Monday, after he was out of touch for several days. He has suffered from severe depression for many years. For most people, this is a disease that increases and decreases over the years. I’m sure it was difficult for Michael to have spent most of last year alone in his small apartment in Queens, being responsible for dealing with the coronavirus. Despite that, we all believed he was fine and, for most of last year, I think he was. He seemed especially cheerful and refreshed in the past few months, as he was able to return to work on several different film projects. He certainly was thrilled with all the praise for Nomadland and told us a lot of happy stories about his work on the film and the amazing people he spent time with.
Unfortunately, we believe he left before seeing the Golden Globe.
We will never know what has changed in the past two months, but even his love for his family, as well as his love for cinema and his cinematic family, were not enough to conquer his demons. People asked if his death was related to Covid. I think we can assume that it played a role in the form of greater isolation and loneliness, but it was certainly more than that. Major Depression is a serious illness that causes people to experience dark feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness, convinced that nothing can help them. And this is not a rare condition, affecting at least 15% of all of us at some point in our lives. These days, there is nothing to be ashamed of, and there are many successful therapies available.
I am a psychiatrist who was unable to save his own son, partly because he did not want to share the depth of his pain. But I know that most people with this condition will recover with the right help and support. I hope that the shocking nature of Michael’s death will prompt others to speak up, risk becoming vulnerable and seek the help they need. It is such a tragic waste that a temporary increase in despair can end a life with so many promises.
Thank you all so much for sharing the love and respect you had for Wolf. This helped us more than we can say.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.