Documentarian to be honored for dogged pursuit of the truth
Joe Berlinger, 55, has been one of the nation’s most influential documentary filmmakers for the past 25 years, since producing “Brother’s Keeper,” a seminal film that helped change the documentary form by using narrative feature techniques to tell nonfiction stories.
Berlinger’s long list of credits includes “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster” and the “Paradise Lost” trilogy, which followed the wrongful imprisonment case of the West Memphis Three. The latter project ultimately led to the release of the trio — and garnered an Oscar nomination.
Now, Berlinger — whose new film, “Intent to Destroy,” concerns the Armenian genocide of 1915 — is being honored with the Freedom of Expression Award at this year’s San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.
And it all started with some American Express commercials:
Q: How did you become a documentary filmmaker? A: I was a German major in college, which is odd since I’m a Jewish person. As a teenager, I was obsessed with
“If you know about the Holocaust, you know there was a previous genocide that is often neglected. To me, the most interesting and universal story in the film is the aftermath of denial, in all of its forms.” Joe Berlinger, pictured below
the Holocaust and wanted to understand this evil. Though I put the Holocaust thing to bed intellectually, I was still interested in German language and culture. Then I bluffed my way into a job at a big ad agency and was living in Germany. The first time I was on set was for an American Express commercial. That’s when the lightbulb went on. Q: Then what happened? A: The Maysles brothers, the guys who did “Grey Gardens,” were directing this other American Express commercial in New York. I hit it off with them. They were looking for more commercial work, and I was looking to get into the film business. I became their “executive producer.” I used the experience as my film school. Q: What drew you to the topic of the Armenian genocide in “Intent to Destroy”? A: If you know about the Holocaust, you know there was a previous genocide that is often neglected. To me, the most interesting and universal story in the film is the aftermath of denial, in all of its forms. We’re not just talking about the events of 1915, but also the events of today. There is still a wellorchestrated campaign to deny that this human tragedy occurred. In this country, meanwhile, alternative facts have been bandied about as a good trait. My film really takes a look at how denial works. Q: Your work has influenced many a filmmaker. What advice would you give them? A: It’s not just about exposing a social injustice — you have to find a good story and a good character to hang on it. Q: How do you feel about the Freedom of Expression Award? A: I couldn’t be more honored, humbled and delighted. The Bay Area is one of my favorite places in the world, and I feel very positive about being in a Jewish festival. God willing, I’ll have another 25 years of making films. Whenever the subject of retirement comes up, I wonder what I would retire from. It’s a lifestyle. Who wants to retire from that?