Alex J. Bernstein (27’) is a dedicated media and communications student, David Lynch enjoyer and the director of the upcoming MCOM 373 documentary, “Twenty.”
A “hodgepodge” of childhood stories from 20 to 28 year old interviewees, “Twenty” is chock full of intimate interviews, covering topics from financial and relationship issues to college and professional work. Interviewees were put on the spot with unrehearsed questions, bringing out a unique emotional vulnerability. Some interviews were as short as thirty minutes while others spanned five to six hours.
With just under thirty interviews and a fifteen-minute runtime limit, this documentary perfectly captures the complex and occasionally brutal reality of being twenty in a short, impactful period.
This project, or the concept behind it, started as a side project for Bernstein, “shelved” exclusively in the back of his mind. It was not until Bernstein found himself sitting in MCOM 373, in need of a project pitch for his classmates, that the idea was finally realized. What started as the losing proposal, one Bernstein himself had no intention of choosing, ended up winning for production in a last-minute tie-breaking-round of voting.
Suddenly, Bernstein, who pictured himself as a behind-the-scenes editor, was thrust into the position of director. “I was really nervous at first because I was really scared of directing by myself,” remarked Bernstein.
Luckily, after a brief discussion with his professor, the apprehensive director was able to choose his highly competent and helpful co-director, Natalie Koenn (‘27). Alongside Koenn is the director of photography, Annabelle Smith (‘26) and producer Sanda Faragalla (‘26). “I’m really glad I have them and my entire team, but especially those three,” stated Bernstein, “They are really helpful in this process because I could not direct by myself.”
The “Twenty” documentary is a monumental undertaking that could not be completed without the absolute best production team, and, fortunately, that is what Bernstein has. With a dependable support system, Bernstein found himself enjoying directing more than originally thought, and the process has run smoothly since.
Bernstein hopes that viewers understand that, while watching, “they are seeing a snippet of these conversations.” While only fractions of the interviews make the cut, the real conversations lasted hours, and Bernstein hopes to “pack a lot of punches into a very short runtime.”
“So,” as Bernstein notes, “you are probably going to see some of the more heavy hitting stuff, but I think that is important to recognize that a big part of being in the twenties is mundanity and the boring [stuff], which is a lot of what we have, and that’s great.” However, Bernstein and his team decided to place emphasis on these “heavier” moments to communicate that mundanity is not all there is.
“Twenty” is a deeply personal and experimental documentary, something that the director himself loves. He even stated, “…part of me loves that it’s so weird. And it’s that weirdness that, I think, feels very twenty.”
As the semester comes to an end, Bernstein shares advice with upcoming MCOM 373 and any media and communication majors. “This is an opportunity that is unprecedented here… And I think [MCOM 373] should be the flagship of the major.” The director believes that being able to work on an actual film for the duration of a semester is a great opportunity for teamwork and exposure. To students contemplating the class, take away the following:
“Anybody who has the chance to work on it, let alone direct, should enjoy every second of it… relish every moment of it, be as fun as you can, be experimental as you can… Just do weird stuff. Be weird.”
“Twenty,” along with other groundbreaking student-made documentaries, will be screening in LC 28 of the Rose Memorial Library on May 13, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
John Oschmann is a sophomore majoring in history and minoring in German and data science.
