Alan Berliner takes the archive of the late filmmaker Benita Raphan and presents us with a portrait of the artist, her life and death.
Watching the film I realized that I know people who are very much like Benita. Like my friends, she is a wonderful person who was damaged by life. In her and her struggles I see the struggles of friends who have a hard time coping with the world.
As a portrait of an artist the film is very good. It is very nice to see the work of a talented and under-appreciated filmmaker. The film gives us a wonderful look at the films she made and what went into them.
And as great a celebration the film is,I don't particularly like the film. The problem is that Berliner is too much a player in the film. While I know that Berliner was a friend and mentor who was asked by Beita's family to finish the film she was working on, he's not as interesting as Benita. I completely understand that Berliner makes personal essay films where he is a major player, but this is one time where he should have dialed it back. I wanted him to be less a character.
Definitely worth a look, but how you react is going to be determiened by how you react to Berliner.
The Hamptons Doc Fest will honor Alan Berliner on Dec. 6 with the 2025 Pennebaker Career Achievement Award. For more information visit: https://www.hamptonsdocfest.com/2025-films/gala-evening-honors-alan-berliner
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