with Alan Berliner

Filmmaker Alan Berliner battles his life-long enemy, insomnia, in this creative and humorous documentary. Mixing clips of old films, interviews with sleep experts, and conversations with his own family, Wide Awake follows Berliner through groggy mornings and energetic nights, and as he struggles to turn off his overactive mind and go to sleep at 3, 4, 5 o’clock in the morning. After his son is born, he visits a sleep clinic and consults a number of experts in an attempt to change himself into a “morning person.” Yet when he suspects that this could fundamentally change who he is, he becomes unsure if he can really go through with it, relying as he does on the fervent creativity that comes from the night. Although a bit self-indulgent, Berliner’s humor shines through in this odd and enjoyable look at sleep problems. Wide Awake may prove to be the sleeper hit of the festival.