As far as art collectors Herb and Dorothy Vogel were concerned, Megumi Sasaki was more than a filmmaker who turned their lives into an award-winning documentary ("Herb & Dorothy," 2009): She's a close friend and a daughter. Having never had (or apparently even desired) children, the Vogels were by all accounts touched by Sasaki's inherent sincerity and enthusiasm, and genuinely came to depend upon her common sense and judgement.

"When Herb had to go into the hospital, I took him there and talked to the doctors," says Sasaki during an interview at a cafe in Aoyama, Tokyo. "Dorothy or his sister would call me to see how he was doing, and it was like everyone just assumed I was his daughter and I would take care of him." When Herb died at the age of 89 — just before his birthday — last July, PBS immediately called Sasaki for an interview.

Now the couple is gone and "it's just Dorothy," says Sasaki, known to the Vogels as Meg. "I call her once or twice a day at least and see her for meals, once or twice a week. She's sad about losing Herb, and says it still feels so odd not to have him in the apartment. But Dorothy's very smart and very tough. She loves life in a way that I think is distinctive about New Yorkers. She's not miring herself in grief, and she hasn't changed much. She still refuses to cook! We always eat out."