Director Ben Berman hosted a Q&A discussion after a screening of “The Amazing Johnathan Documentary,” presented by Hulu at Village East Cinema in Manhattan.
There are simultaneously few and many words to describe comic magician John Szeles, also known as The Amazing Johnathan. From his fame as a shock entertainer on variety shows to his Vegas residencies, culminating in his diagnosis in 2014 of a terminal heart disease, Szeles has remained as much of a mystery as his morbid onstage tricks.
John Szeles and director Ben Berman
Director Ben Berman chose Szeles’ story for his debut feature film in part due to The Amazing Johnathan’s elusive eccentricities, yet Berman soon realizes his own personal experience with illness is what grounds their tumultuous friendship. Eric Andre, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and Carrot Top provide commentary on The Amazing Johnathan’s extraordinary career while Berman tries to make sense of Szeles’ current comeback.
“I was just there to experiment and observe, be as vérité as I could be,” Berman explained. “The idea was just to follow where this thing goes but of course this guy is an illusionist. Documentaries are a medium that either seek the truth or present the truth. How could I ever expect to get the truth from an illusionist?”
Director Ben Berman (right) discusses his film, “The Amazing Johnathan Documentary”
Berman cited Orson Welles’ “F For Fake” and Ross McElwee’s “Sherman’s March” as inspirations for the film, explaining the ever-shifting dynamic of the story he sought and how documentary ethics of honesty inevitably became more layered. “I like that the film asks questions and leaves you with questions as well,” Berman said. “Sometimes using a little bit of deception against the deceiver, bending the truth to get the truth, is a beautiful thing.”
The film, one of the most entertaining and twist-filled documentaries so far this year, leaves viewers trying to make sense of the art of illusion, showmanship, and resilience. Subject quickly becomes director and director becomes subject, begging the question: who’s to say the rabbit was pulled out of the hat, and the hat not pulled out of the rabbit?
“The Amazing Johnathan Documentary” is currently streaming on Hulu and playing in select theaters.