All About Amy J. Berg
Top viewing picks from the AIDC team
A visit years in the making, AIDC is thrilled to welcome the award-winning bad-ass feminist and queen of the true crime documentary, Amy J. Berg, in 2020.
Described by the Guardian as “the documentarian to fear”, her passion for truth and justice makes her one of the most interesting and relevant directors of our time. She also loves dogs!
In addition to her own incredible oeuvre, Berg’s impressive repertoire of A-list collaborations makes her a fitting guest for AIDC’s year of collective intelligence.
To give you a primer for her AIDC appearance, we’ve created a list of films to introduce (or refresh) you and help kill off those long summer days as you wait in anticipation for AIDC 2020.
Janis: Little Girl Blue
Produced by Alex Gibney and narrated by Cat Power, this is an unmissable tribute to one of the greatest musical legends of all time. In this extraordinary documentary, Janis Joplin comes back to life in one of the most powerful archival portraits to date.
West of Memphis
AIDC’s theme of ‘collective intelligence’ is entirely apt in regard to this brilliant award-winning documentary on the shocking miscarriage of justice that was the West Memphis Three. A true-crime thriller, this artful film is the result of collaborative efforts from Berg alongside Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh (producers), with a soundtrack from Australian darlings Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
This is Personal
Premiering at Sundance in January 2019, This is Personal is an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek into the organisation of the Women’s March on Washington organised in response to Donald Trump’s election. With unprecedented access to some of the key players, the film takes a sophisticated and thought-provoking approach to the complexities of contemporary intersectional feminist activism.
The Case Against Adnan Syed
In 2014, Sarah Koenig changed podcasting forever with the release of the widely successful first season of Serial, raising questions around the conviction of Adnan Syed in the murder of his girlfriend. In 2019, Berg worked with Koenig to bring the podcast to the screen, exploring additional theories and evidence in the lead-up to a new appeal. Nominated for an Emmy Award earlier this year, this four-part series is a must-see for lovers of true crime.
Dogs
If you’re looking to restore your faith in humanity, we recommend checking the 2019 Netflix Original series Dogs. From Syria to Japan to Italy to New York, this series presents a surprising deep dive into the powerful connection between man and his best friend. The series includes a star-studded directorial line-up involving Roger Ross Williams (Life Animated) Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp) Richard Hankin (The Jinx) and of course, Amy J. Berg.
Amy J. Berg will take part in AIDC 2020’s Masters series of documentary and factual masterclasses, and also be a mentor in AIDC’s ACCESS mentorship and professional development program. AIDC 2020 passes are on sale now.