Jonathan Berman

After a series of unusual gigs (club musician, carnival worker, private detective, and banana picker), Jonathan Berman found his calling in film and video, first as an apprentice film editor, and then as a producer, director, writer, editor, and consultant. His documentaries reconsider subculture and identity, challenging how alternative people, groups and ideas are represented.

His latest project, GONDOLA (in-progress, slated for late 2027) looks at the grassroots movement against an aerial tram from Dodger Stadium to Union Staton. Do communities get to decide their own fate? Calling All Earthlings (2019) explores the rise of desert UFO culture, while Commune (2006) delves into group living, finding the path to utopia strewn with challenges. My Friend Paul (2000) looks at the intersection of mental illness, friendship, and crime. The Shvitz (1994) is a loving portrait of the last traditional steambaths. 

Showings include Cinema Village and Laemmle Theaters; MOMA; festivals (SXSW, Slamdance, Munich, Jerusalem) and on Netflix, Amazon, Showtime, Sundance Channel, PBS, and the BBC. 

In 2020 he was a Fulbright Specialist, becoming the first American to advise Burmese (Myanmar) Public Television on their proposed move from state-run to public television.