Nobody's Business: Revealing the Filmmaker through Domestic Ethnography

Alan Berliner’s film, Nobody’s Business, may have been my favourite film from this class to date. I’m very interested in the psychological influences and conclusions of a film and so I was compelled by the autobiographical practice used in this film.
Michael Renov explains the concept of domestic ethnography and its use as “a vehicle of self-examination, a means through which to construct self-knowledge through recourse to the familial other” (218) within his article “Domestic Ethnography and the Construction of the ‘Other’ Self”. This reading outlines the purpose of Berliner’s film very well, through the use of other documentary examples.
In general, the viewer may witness the autobiographical practice that results from Alan’s interview of his father, Oscar. The definition of Alan’s self is created through his opposition and similarities to his father. The greatest opposition was Oscar’s obstinate disinterest in his family’s history and Alan’s obvious fascination with this history. Nobody’s Business was preceded by Alan’s portrait of his grandfather in the film Intimate Stranger. His grandfather is focused on within this film as well; however Oscar shows no concern with the memory of his parents to the point that he didn’t even know their birthdays or wedding anniversary. Alan, on the other hand, is so greatly interested in his family history that he even travels to Poland to visit their places of birth and death. When he is unable to find any definite gravesite, he chooses to associate a specific grave stone with his grandparents as a symbol for his own comfort, a concept that his father laughs at and dismisses as ridiculous. The opposition peaks at the end of the film, with the credits rolling and the sound of dialogue. Oscar is telling Alan that he thinks he’s taken the wrong life path, that he’s wasting his time making films, and, basically, that his work and his life practice are useless because he essentially begs for money. This opposition and harsh disapproval creates obvious “boundaries between self and other” (217) and therefore creates an interesting perception of Alan’s self to the viewer.
The documented history provides a solid base for the documentary and helps to explain the context of the relationship. The interviews that Alan conducts with his sister and his mother further develop the familial dynamics and help to define Alan and his father. The “level of casual intimacy” (218) that Renov describes works to create Alan’s self-portrait. I think the strongest, and most dynamic, element of the film were the one-on-one interviews where Alan was able to break down Oscar’s barriers, if only for a minute. Especially in contrast to their opposing views on the film, their loving relationship is really strengthened by these interviews and the understanding of this relationship helps the viewer to understand the true persons involved. This idea is strengthened even more when Alan’s cousin comments on how the documentary process has been beneficial to Oscar because it keeps him going in a way. I think this is the point in the film where Oscar’s walls are really broken down and the viewer can see his full view.
The one-on-one interview segments also reveal that “blood ties effect linkages of shared memory, physical resemblance, temperament, and … family-forged behavioural or attitudinal dysfunction” (219). The portion of the interview when Alan and Oscar discuss their similarities, in terms of inheritance, helped to create an unarguable bond between the two men. In contrast, the blood linkages between Alan and his mother seemed to force a gap between the mother and son because their bond had not been strengthened throughout the rest of the film. This maternal gap or void also helps to build the image of Alan for the viewer.
Lastly, I think the actual interview and documentary process, Alan’s opportunity to finally sit down and have a heart-to-heart with his father is another dimension of the film that defines Alan. The actual interaction that the viewer is able to witness is a huge development in both of the men’s lives, as it is a point of growth between them and as individuals. The struggle between the two (represented by the boxing matches) work together with the quieter, agreeable moments to build a new connection between father and son.
Renov summarizes the concept of this type of film well and so I would just like to restate that:
“Afforded a depth of access to its subjects, domestic ethnography discloses secrets, performs masquerades of identity, and, temporarily at least, rearranges familial hierarchies. Its sleight of hand is the rendering public of private-sphere material, but not … as spectacle” (226)
Nobody’s Business is an excellent example of domestic ethnography in a documentary film. Alan Berliner discloses family secrets, exposes identities, and challenges his father’s dominance through conducting his interviews. The private familial life is made public and reveals interesting family dynamics and provides a portrayal of the filmmaker, which is no way a spectacle.