a documentary
 
directed by  Jim Tushinski
produced by Lawrence Helman &
                 Jim Tushinski		  
 
 


Selected Reviews

New York Times

One of the enduring icons of gay male eroticism, the phenomenon known as Peter Berlin is explored, explained, ogled and interviewed in the superb documentary "That Man: Peter Berlin." Self-made and endlessly self-obsessed, Mr. Berlin was the reluctant star of the gay pornographic classics "Nights in Black Leather" and "That Boy," but his true métier was the super-sexualized lifestyle as a perpetual work of performance art.

The director, Jim Tushinski, couldn't have asked for a more colorful or brazenly documented subject, nor one who proves more unexpectedly endearing. Vivid reminiscences from John Waters, Armistead Maupin, the pornographic auteur Wakefield Poole and the artist Robert Richards elevate "That Man: Peter Berlin" into a minor classic of demimonde hagiography.

--Nathan Lee

Time Out New York

In Jim Tushinski's captivating doc, '70s gay-porn legend Peter Berlin, sporting a flaxen Dutch Boy 'do and the tightest trousers, is classified by one admirer as "a full-body genital." ... Generous and compassionate, That Man ties up Berlin's life in one nice package.

--Melissa Anderson

New York Newsday

Jim Tushinski's well-wrought documentary on '60s-'70s porn star/personality Peter Berlin demonstrates, if nothing else, the lives that are are lived on the different sides of the sexual divide ... Tushinski's task, performed deftly, is to give Berlin his due as a character, image and emblem of uncloseted homosexuality and to establish his identity at the same time - something that documentarians enamored of their subjects often forget to do.

--John Anderson

Indiewire.com

Jim Tushinski's masterful That Man: Peter Berlin is a fascinating look at gay porn icon Peter Berlin, a blond god of the seventies whose crotch became an international cause worshipped by the likes of Andy Warhol. This is how Berlin manufactured his persona and then eventually receded into an apartment in San Francisco decades later – [a] rousing, arousing work.

--Brandon Judell

Nerve.com

Those unfamiliar with 1970s gay culture may not immediately recognize porn star Peter Berlin, but a viewing of the amazing documentary will likely affix him in the mind forever ... Berlin was well aware of the power of mystery; in one telling (and hilarious) vintage clip, he slowly strips off one layer of underwear after another, delaying the inevitable reveal, and prolonging the delicious anticipation, for as long as possible. Modern interview footage is just as compelling, particularly Berlin's account of his longtime lover's death from AIDS. The scene adds a startling poignancy to Berlin's over-the-top public persona; as a result, That Man is as moving as it is fascinating.

--Peter Smith

TVGuide.com

... who, exactly, is the man behind the image, a man whom some describe as being as mysterious as Garbo? Is there anyone there? And what happens when a worshipper of his own youthful image finally grows old? Using artfully composed montages of countless Berlin photos, footage from Berlin's films and vintage newsreel from the heady days of gay lib, filmmaker Jim Tushinski addresses these questions and more with an affectionate, respectful film that's never less than engaging, no matter what your knowledge of '70s porn.

--Ken Fox

Gay City News (New York)

Tushinski’s fabulous film about the porn star/recluse will entertain those who remember Peter Berlin, and educate those who do not ... That Man: Peter Berlin provides an incredibly well-rounded portrait of its subject. The various images of Berlin’s self-made art, beautifully compiled throughout the film by Tushinski, show the progression of his work, photographic process, and of course his beauty/image. And such images make That Man: Peter Berlin so exceptional. This film is a remarkable time capsule; it is never a dry history lesson. When Berlin explains his childhood in Germany, or describes how he became involved in the film industry, it is always interesting, and slightly enigmatic. Such is the strength of “That Man: Peter Berlin,” as Berlin himself would insist, it leaves the viewer wanting more.

--Gary Kramer