Alan Berliner: "Every film creates a puzzle that you then have to solve"
Alan Berliner held a meeting students from the School of Communication the University of Navarra
Photo: Manuel Castells and Alan Berliner during their lecture the University of Navarra.
23 | 04 | 2026
The renowned New York filmmaker shared advice and his work methods during a session with students from the School of Communication at the University of Navarra, as framework the Punto de Vista Festival.
Berliner, born in Brooklyn in 1956, is one of today’s most acclaimed independent filmmakers thanks to his ability to blend documentary and essay film. His filmography is characterized by a first-person perspective, the creative use of file footage file a highly personal approach design editing and design . Students also had the opportunity to attend screening at the University of Navarra Museum of his two latest films,“Letter to the publisher(2019) and“Benita”(2025), followed by a colloquium the director.
During the meeting the students, Berliner spoke about his creative process. The space where he works, he explained, is no minor detail: his studio is the environment in which his films take shape, and the atmosphere directly influences what is done and how it is done. He particularly emphasized the value of guide real-world experience: he personally handles every phase of the process—production, editing, writing—which gives his works that artisanal and unmistakably staff character.
"What I really enjoy is creating the puzzle that I then solve. Every film creates a puzzle," said the director, who admitted that he doesn't have a Closed plan Closed he sits down to edit. For Berliner, being open to changing course and adapting ideas on the fly isn't a weakness, but an essential part of his method.
"Movies," he insisted to the students, "are inevitably personal: 'We put parts of ourselves into our projects, whether we want to or not.'"
Berliner concluded his remarks with a direct message for aspiring communicators: pursue what you’re passionate about, even if it’s just a little bit each day, without letting the flame of creativity die out. “If you love telling stories, you’ll find a way,” he told them. “You’ll soon discover that you need to do it.”