The Alan Berliner Collection

Splicing together audiotapes and home movie footage from over 150 different families, documentarian Alan Berliner turns his yard sale treasure trove into "The Family Album" (1986), a fascinating chronicle of American homelife from the '20s to the '50s, tracking the family's changing role and the universal experiences from childhood to adulthood. Next, delving into his family's past, Berliner looks at the life of an "Intimate Stranger" (1991)─his grandfather, Joseph Cassuto, a Palestinian Jew who worked for a Japanese cotton company. Berliner then examines the life of his father, a 79-year-old retired sportswear manufacturer, in "Nobody's Business" (1996). What begins as a study of an ordinary man becomes a drama of life choices and real-life family conflicts. Five-disc set also includes "The Sweetest Sound" and "Wide Awake" (2006). 5 1/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English; bonus shorts; interviews; more.