Do Not Disturb.
Berliner's expertise in audio and
Clockwise
out emotionally, psycholog-
visual art is wonderfully evident from top center: ically, and — I suppose — •
in the signature style of his film, Alan Berliner,
literally, from everything."
a veritable collage of words and
Alan Berliner,
However, that doesn't
images about names and the
Alan Berliner,
mean that he isn't moving
meanings they generate.
Allen Berliner,
on to his next artistic proj-
The aesthetic impact of the
Allen Berliner,
ect. Berliner, who also cre-
film is one of Berliner's primary Allen Berliner,
ates audio and visual instal-
goals. "I want to give everyone
Alan Berliner,
lations, will be artist in resi-
who watches this film a really
Alain Berliner,
dence at the Walker Art
interesting cinematic experience. Allan Berliner,
Center in Minneapolis later
I want the way that I tell the
Alan Berliner,
in the year. He has also
story to be as interesting as the
Akin Berliner,
been commissioned to make
story that I tell."
Alan Berliner
a large, interactive sculpture
Berliner himself narrates this
and Alan
tided Gathering Stones for
animated story about the mean- Berliner.
the Holocaust Museum
ing of names. He looks at clips
Houston that will open in
from old film reels of people and
March 2002.
invents names for the He interviews
And his films continue to receive
people on the street about what they
acclaim. In July, they will be shown in
think of their own names. He visits
another retrospective at the San
same-name societies such as the Jim
Francisco Jewish Film Festival.
Smith Society and the National Linda
Much of Berliner's work incorpo-
Convention. He discusses the broad
rates the concept of identity, which
social consequences of naming.
has undergone a revolution in the
When he interviews his parents, inter-
20th century. The Sweetest Sound
rogating them about their choice of the
makes use of the new information era
name "Alan," they seem comfortably
and the ease of so-called "ego-surfing,"
disinterested in their son's project. "My
the activity of finding your name else-
parents are used to being characters in
where on the Internet.
the films. It's not a problem anymore."
But, as Berliner discovers, it's some-
Indeed, it isn't the first time that
how discomfiting to share your name
Berliner has positioned his family as
with someone else. It elicits a strong
subjects for his projects. His award-
feeling of competitiveness. Although,
winning documentaries, Nobody's
on the surface, Berliner's latest film
Business and Intimate Stranger, have
gives a knowing wink to self-absorp-
each in part explored the importance of tion, he is ultimately looking at a far
the family in the formation of identity.
more universal truth.
"Whether they're biographies of my
"Everyone has a name. It's sort of
relatives or explorations of my ancestry
like the tips of our noses: we never
or genealogy, my films are always
really look at them or think about
about who I am, where I come from,
them," remarks Berliner. "Yet we all
and how I got here" says Berliner. "Not have some relationship to [our] name
only inevitably, but inexorably, they are — whether we can express it or not,
related to the fact that I am Jewish."
unconsciously or otherwise — that's
Berliner, who spent nearly three
factored in to what we do and who
years researching, writing, shooting
we are."
and editing The Sweetest Sound, is not
yet certain what his next film will be.
As he puts it, he's currently "erasing all
The Sweetest Sound airs 10 p.m.
the files."
Tuesday, June 26, on WTVS
Says Berliner, "It's a journey through
(Channel 56) and other PBS sta-
and across and within an enormous
tions nationwide.
universe, so it takes a while to clear
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