Joe Berlinger
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Joseph Berlinger (born October 30, 1961) is an American documentary filmmaker and producer. Particularly focused on
true crime True crime is a genre of non-fiction work in which an author examines a crime, including detailing the actions of people associated with and affected by the crime, and investigating the perpetrator's Motive (law), motives. True crime works often ...
documentaries, Berlinger's films and docu-series draw attention to
social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
issues in the US and abroad in such films as '' Brother's Keeper'', '' Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills'', '' Crude'', '' Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger'' and '' Intent To Destroy: Death, Denial and Depiction''. A 2017 ''
HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'' article stated, "''Brother's Keeper"'' (1992) and the "''Paradise Lost'' trilogy" (1996–2011) helped pioneer the style of documentary filmmaking seen in Netflix's recent true crime sensation, ''
Making a Murderer ''Making a Murderer'' is an American true crime documentary television series written and directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos. The show tells the story of Steven Avery, a man from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, who served 18 years in priso ...
''—a combination of artful cinematography, a stirring musical soundtrack, and a dramatic narrative structure as compelling as any scripted film." Berlinger spearheaded and directed two 2019 projects centered on the infamous serial killer
Ted Bundy Theodore Robert Bundy (; November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989), known colloquially as Ted Bundy, was an American serial killer who kidnapping, abducted, raped and murdered dozens of young women and girls between 1974 and 1978. His ''modus ...
: the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
docu-series '' Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes'', and the drama film '' Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'', starring
Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' film ...
. In 2022 Bloomberg described Berlinger as a "True Crime Hit Factory" for Netflix whose work has "redefined crime documentaries as a vehicle for social justice." The article also quoted Adam Del Deo, VP for original documentary series at Netflix: “He’s the gold standard in true crime. The moral compass that he has, the sense of responsibility he has for victims and for getting the story right and shining a light on it, that is something that is very unique.”


Early life and education

Berlinger was born to a Jewish family in
Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...
. He graduated from
Colgate University Colgate University is a Private university, private college in Hamilton, New York, United States. The Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York ...
in 1983 with a B.A. in German Language.


Early career

After graduating from Colgate University, Berlinger took a position working at an advertising agency in
Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
, Germany. He soon transitioned into the world of film, working as an apprentice to the iconic documentarians
Albert and David Maysles Albert Maysles (November 26, 1926 – March 5, 2015) and his brother David Maysles (January 10, 1931 – January 3, 1987; ) were an American documentary filmmaking team known for their work in the Direct Cinema style. Their best-known films in ...
. Joe met his future directing partner, Bruce Sinofsky, while they were both employed by the Maysles. Together they would make their directing debut with the 1992 film '' Brother's Keeper.''


Collaboration with Bruce Sinofsky

Working as a directing duo, Berlinger and Sinofsky created the landmark documentary '' Brother's Keeper'' (1992), which tells the story of Delbert Ward, an uneducated elderly man in Munnsville, New York, who was charged with second-degree murder following the death of his brother William. Film critic Roger Ebert called it "an extraordinary documentary about what happened next, as a town banded together to stop what folks saw as a miscarriage of justice." The pair went on to direct the Paradise Lost Trilogy--'' Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills'' (1996), '' Paradise Lost 2: Revelations'' (2000), and '' Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory'' (2011), which earned the pair an Academy Award nomination. The trilogy, shot over two decades, focused on the West Memphis Three, a group of teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of the brutal murder of three children. The trilogy raised doubts about the legitimacy of the teenagers' convictions and spurred a movement to release them from prison, where one of the men was awaiting a death sentence. In 2011, the West Memphis Three were released from their respective death and life sentences after filing an
Alford Plea In United States law, an Alford plea, also called a Kennedy plea in West Virginia, an Alford guilty plea, and the Alford doctrine, is a guilty plea in criminal court, whereby a defendant in a criminal case does not admit to the criminal act a ...
with the Federal Court of Arkansas. '' Metallica: Some Kind of Monster'' (2004), called "one of the most revelatory rock portraits ever made" follows the popular heavy metal band
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
. Berlinger and Sinofsky capture the group at a crossroads, as bassist
Jason Newsted Jason Curtis Newsted (born March 4, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the bassist of heavy metal band Metallica from 1986 to 2001. He performed with thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam for the first five years of his career before ...
quits the band and frontman
James Hetfield James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder, and a primary songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica. He is mainly known for his raspy voice and intricate rhythm playi ...
abruptly leaves to enter a rehabilitation facility due to alcohol abuse. The film was critically acclaimed for capturing Metallica, a global phenomenon, at a moment of true vulnerability. Sinofsky died on February 21, 2015, at the age of 58, from
diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
-related complications. The band Metallica paid tribute to him as a "courageous man with deep empathy and wisdom who wasn't afraid to dig deep to tell the story." Berlinger wrote that Sinofsky's "humanity is on every frame of the films that he leaves behind."


Other works


Film

Berlinger made his narrative feature debut with '' Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2'' (2000). Berlinger's film '' Crude'' (2009) focused on the lawsuit by Ecuadorean plaintiffs against
Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation predominantly specializing in oil and gas. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened t ...
, for its alleged responsibility for continuing sites of pollution in that country. ''Under African Skies'' (2012), follows
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
as he returns to South Africa for a reunion concert, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his landmark album ''
Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, once owned by American singer Elvis Presley. Presley is buried there, as are his parents Vernon and Gladys, paternal grandmother Minnie Mae, grandson Benjamin, and daugh ...
'' which featured many iconic South African Musicians. In 2014 '' Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulger'', a documentary about the infamous Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger was released. Berlinger traces Whitey's trail of terror as well as the FBI's role in both enabling him and taking him down. Berlinger captured Tony Robbins' exclusive and notoriously private ''Date With Destiny'' seminar in his 2016 film ''Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru''. Berlinger chronicles the six-day seminar and the personal evolutions and breakthroughs of participants, Robbins and even Berlinger himself. In 2017 Berlinger released ''Intent to Destroy: Death, Denial & Depiction'', an examination of the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
through both seated interviews with experts and behind-the-scenes footage of
Terry George Terence George (born 20 December 1952) is an Irish screenwriter and director. Much of his film work (e.g. '' The Boxer'', '' Some Mother's Son'', and '' In the Name of the Father'') involves "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland. He was nominated ...
's historical drama '' The Promise'' (2016). In 2019, Berlinger re-entered the world of narrative film and directed '' Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'', his second feature. The film chronicles the life of serial killer
Ted Bundy Theodore Robert Bundy (; November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989), known colloquially as Ted Bundy, was an American serial killer who kidnapping, abducted, raped and murdered dozens of young women and girls between 1974 and 1978. His ''modus ...
and his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall. Starring
Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' film ...
,
Lily Collins Lily Jane Collins (born 18 March 1989) is an English and American actress. Born in Guildford and raised in Los Angeles, she began performing on screen at the age of two in the BBC sitcom ''Growing Pains''. In the late 2000s, she began acting a ...
,
Jim Parsons James Joseph Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American actor. From 2007 to 2019, Parsons played Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory''. He has received various awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstandin ...
,
John Malkovich John Gavin Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and ...
,
Jeffrey Donovan Jeffrey Donovan (born May 11, 1968) is an American actor. He has played Michael Westen in the television series '' Burn Notice'', and appeared in films such as '' Hitch'', '' Believe in Me'', ''Changeling'', and '' Come Early Morning''. He play ...
,
Haley Joel Osment Haley Joel Osment (born April 10, 1988) is an American actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, Osment's role in the comedy-drama film ''Forrest Gump'' (1994) won him a Young Artist Award. His breakthrough came with the psychological thr ...
and
Angela Sarafyan Angela Sarafyan (), sometimes credited as Angela Sarafian, is an American actress. She has appeared as a guest star in several television series and has acted in the feature films: '' Kabluey'' (2007), '' On the Doll'' (2007), '' A Beautiful Life ...
, the film screened at the
2019 Sundance Film Festival The 2019 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 24 to February 3, 2019. The first lineup of competition films was announced on November 28, 2018. Films U.S. Dramatic Competition * '' Before You Know It'' by Hannah Pearl Utt * '' ...
in January.


Television

In addition to his feature work, Berlinger has created or played pivotal roles as executive producer, director and/or producer of many acclaimed television series, such as the Emmy-winning '' 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America'' for History, the Emmy-nominated '' Oprah's Master Class'' for OWN, and the star-studded ''Iconoclasts'' for Sundance, which paired creative visionaries across multiple disciplines - such as Eddie Vedder and Laird Hamilton, Chuck D and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Charlize Theron and Jane Goodall - for tandem portraits and discussions about their lives, influences, and art. Berlinger continued his passion for using media to bring attention to the issue of wrongful conviction with his television series ''Wrong Man'' for Starz, which took an in-depth look into six separate cases of alleged wrongful conviction over two seasons. '' Confronting A Serial Killer'', which premiered in April 2021 on Starz, follows acclaimed author Jillian Lauren as she forms an unprecedented bond with the most prolific serial killer in American history, Samuel Little. Lauren uncovers Little's darkest secrets, aids law enforcement in solving a multitude of cold case murders targeting marginalized communities, and examines how flaws in our criminal justice system aided in him escaping legal consequences for decades. Since 2019's '' Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes'' and '' Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,'' Berlinger has spearheaded multiple hit documentary series for Netflix, including '' Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich'' (2020), '' Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel'' (2021), and '' Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street'' (2023).


Literature and philanthropy

In collaboration with journalist Greg Milner, Berlinger wrote the book '' Metallica: This Monster Lives'' (2004), about his early career, accomplishments and challenges forging his path in the world of film. The book is centered around the filming of ''Metallica: Some Kind of Monster''. Berlinger serves on the board of Proclaim Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to providing resources and building awareness around wrongful convictions. He also serves on the board of Rehabilitation Through the Arts, The Bedford Playhouse and the
International Documentary Association International Documentary Association (IDA), founded in 1982, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that promotes nonfiction filmmakers, and is dedicated to increasing public awareness for the documentary genre. Their major program areas are: Advocacy, Film ...
.


Legal battles over ''Crude''

Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation predominantly specializing in oil and gas. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened t ...
subpoenaed the outtakes from Berlinger's 2009 film ''Crude''. Berlinger fought the request, citing
reporters' privilege Reporter's privilege in the United States (also journalist's privilege, newsman's privilege, or press privilege), is a "reporter's protection under constitutional or statutory law, from being compelled to testify about confidential information or ...
, but in 2010 a federal judge ordered Berlinger to turn over more than 600 hours of footage created during the film's production. Berlinger appealed, but in 2011 the US 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court ruling against Berlinger, though with a slight reduction in the total hours of footage required. After spending $1.3 million on legal fees on the case, Berlinger expressed concerns about being able to make documentaries about legal cases in the future.


''Paradise Lost''

Berlinger is best known for the film series ''Paradise Lost'', which documents the murder trial and the subsequent legal battles of three Arkansas teenagers, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr., convicted of murder. The court convicted the youths (known as the West Memphis Three) of murdering three eight-year-old boys as part of a "ritual killing," although no physical evidence linked the three young men to the crime. ''Paradise Lost'' documents the 20-year ordeal of these three young men from arrest to conviction, through years of unsuccessful legal efforts, to a plea bargain that resulted in their release in the summer of 2012. The film series brought mainstream attention to the case, and many celebrities took up the cause of getting these young men out of prison and getting Damien Echols off
death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting executio ...
. The mainstream attention, brought on by the documentary series, allowed for a well-financed legal team to investigate every lead in the case. These subsequent investigations showed the incompetence of the West Memphis police, who had never dealt with this type of crime, and that the police let other suspects disappear from the community; for example, a man covered in blood used a restroom in a restaurant within walking distance of the murder scene shortly after the time of the murders. In addition to the failure to apprehend the suspect, the police lost the blood samples, even though this strange man left blood all over the bathroom. This mistake meant that the experts could never determine if this strange man was covered in the victims' blood. Ultimately, the defense team hired DNA experts to test genetic material after fighting the prosecution for years to get access to it, and these tests again proved that no physical evidence linked the West Memphis Three to the murders; rather, a hair from one boy's stepfather was found tied into one of the shoelaces used to hogtie the victims. After a 2010 decision by the
Arkansas Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Arkansas is the highest court in the state judiciary of Arkansas. It has ultimate and largely discretionary appellate jurisdiction over all state court cases that involve a point of state law, and original jurisdiction ...
regarding newly produced DNA evidence, attorneys for the West Memphis Three negotiated with prosecutors an
Alford plea In United States law, an Alford plea, also called a Kennedy plea in West Virginia, an Alford guilty plea, and the Alford doctrine, is a guilty plea in criminal court, whereby a defendant in a criminal case does not admit to the criminal act a ...
allowing them to assert their innocence while acknowledging enough evidence to convict them; the result, on August 19, 2011, was acceptance of the pleas by Judge David Laser, and his reduction of sentence of the three to time served, and their release with 10-year
suspended sentence A suspended sentence is a sentence on conviction for a criminal offence, the serving of which the court orders to be deferred in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation. If the defendant does not break the law during that ...
s (after 18 years, 78 days in prison).


Personal life

Joe Berlinger lives with his wife, artist Loren Eiferman, in
Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
.


Filmography

Narrative Films Documentary films Documentary series (Since 2019)


References


External links

*
"Q&A: Paradise Lost directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky"
Grantland.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Berlinger, Joe 1961 births Living people 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American documentary filmmakers American male non-fiction writers Colgate University alumni Directors Guild of America Award winners Film directors from Connecticut Jewish American memoirists Jewish American non-fiction writers Jewish American film people Jews from Connecticut People associated with true crime Writers from Bridgeport, Connecticut