My Uncle Berns
New York Premiere

My Uncle Berns

| USA | 88 MINUTES | English
It's not hard to see where the Crystal family got its wacky streak. Lindsay Crystal's lovingly crafted documentary celebrates the life of her great uncle Bernhardt, known as "Berns," the uncle of her father, funnyman Billy Crystal. Uncle Berns is a fascinating character with a remarkable life story. It becomes clear as we listen to him do his impersonation of Hitler, or recite limericks, that Billy learned his shtick from him. More than just a comedic role model, Berns is a life force. A traumatic incident in his teenage years -- which you have to hear him tell to believe -- forces him to live on the streets of New York City for years, separated from his family. His experience in World War I is equally harrowing, but out of it he develops an artistic hobby into a profession. On September 11, Uncle Berns is living in the Hallmark, an assisted living community in Battery Park City. Although he is evacuated safely, Berns' near-death experience causes Lindsay to think about how lucky she is to count him as a member of her family. Berns copes with life's tragedies through his drawings, a number of which appear in the film, as stills and in animated sequences. Together with home movies and found footage, these illustrations give the film an extraordinary texture. He's a special man, our Uncle Berns, and his story is as inspiring as it is unusual.

Cast & Credits
Directed by
Lindsay Crystal and Cory Concoff
Lindsay Crystal was born in 1977 in Los Angeles but realized New York was really home after moving to the East Village in 1995. She graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 1999 with a B.F.A. in Film and Television. While at NYU, Crystal directed the award-winning short film Snooze for which she was a 1999-2000 recipient of the Martin Scorsese Post-Production Award. After graduating, she worked as an assistant editor on commercials, documentaries, and feature films, such as 61, later returning to NYU to teach editing to highschool students. My Uncle Berns is her feature directorial debut.
* Rush Tickets available at venue except for
Beacon Theatre
Rush will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues other than Beacon Theatre.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.

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