Close friend remembers accomplished director killed in crash
Jorn Winther was 88 years old when he was killed in a head-on collision in Palm Desert last Friday.
Winther was an acclaimed director and producer, winning numerous awards through his career. He also earned a place in U.S. history by directing the original Frost/Nixon interview in 1977.
Denise Dubarry Hay, a close friend of Winther’s, told KESQ & CBS Local 2 Winther was in town on business working to fulfill a dream project.
“His dream was to come back to the desert and produce more TV and unfortunately it was cut short,” Hay said.
She met Winther about 15 years ago, connecting through “Palm Springs Women in Film and Television.
“He was very passionate about producing and making things happen. He directed all my children, the California Jam, the Frost/Nixon tapes,” Hay said.
Winther brought Dubarry in to work on his last project, “Do or Die.”
“We shot it all here in the desert. It premiered in the Palm Springs Film Festival January of 2017 and it was a dream come true for him. That was on his bucket list,” Hay added.
But after scratching that dream off his list, a new dream surfaced.
“He was back here again last week to meet with me and a few other people to put together a talk show, called “Girl Talk.” Girls talking, like “The View,” similar talk show, here locally. He was here to put that together, he was 88 years old, still working, still producing, still wanting to direct,” Hay recalled.
Hay says Winther left behind a strong legacy in the film and television community and across the Coachella Valley.
“He knew how to push people and drive people to make them the best they could be,” Hay said.
Plans for that show are on hold for now. Hay says Winther is survived by his wife and five kids, all who are involved in film and television.
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Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
