Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season (July 29–August 11, 1982) 1982
A quiet, introspective slice of early-80s Americana unfolds in Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season (July 29–August 11, 1982) (1982), a 25-minute Super 8 diary film from visionary experimental director Anne Charlotte Robertson.
Director: Anne Charlotte Robertson
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season (July 29–August 11, 1982) (1982) about?
Anne Charlotte Robertson's 25-minute film documents two weeks in July and August 1982, focusing on the growth and harvest of blackberries in her Massachusetts backyard. Blending nature, memory, and personal reflection, it's a snapshot of a moment where time feels suspended between ripeness and decay.
Who directed Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season (July 29–August 11, 1982)?
Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season was directed by Anne Charlotte Robertson, a pioneering figure in American experimental and diary filmmaking whose work blurred the lines between art and autobiography.
Who stars in Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season (July 29–August 11, 1982)?
The film stars Anne Charlotte Robertson herself, whose presence and voice guide the viewer through the 25-minute journey, creating an immersive diary-like experience.
Is Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season (July 29–August 11, 1982) (1982) worth watching?
While it's a niche experimental short, Blackberry Season offers a unique window into 1980s home-movie aesthetics and personal filmmaking. Its raw authenticity and quiet power make it rewarding for fans of avant-garde cinema, though it may not appeal to mainstream audiences.
How long is Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season (July 29–August 11, 1982)?
The runtime of Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season is 25 minutes.
Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season (1982) — A 25-Minute Suburban Summer Captured on Film
A quiet, introspective slice of early-80s Americana unfolds in Five Year Diary, Reel 20: Blackberry Season (July 29–August 11, 1982) (1982), a 25-minute Super 8 diary film from visionary experimental director Anne Charlotte Robertson. Shot over two sweltering weeks in suburban Massachusetts, the film captures the rhythms of a single season—blackberry bushes heavy with fruit, tangled backyards, and the filmmaker's own unfiltered reflections. With a handheld intimacy that feels decades ahead of its time, Robertson blends domestic observation with raw personal commentary, creating a meditation on growth, decay, and the fleeting beauty of everyday life. The summer heat lingers in every frame, and the blackberries become a metaphor for both abundance and the inevitability of time passing.
Grounded in the DIY spirit of 1980s avant-garde cinema, Blackberry Season belongs to the tradition of personal documentary. Robertson's camera lingers on overripe fruit, rusted fences, and passing clouds, letting the mundane reveal its hidden poetry. The film's unpolished aesthetic and confessional voice echo the works of Jonas Mekas, inviting viewers into an unfiltered moment where nature and self merge. It's a short but potent experience—one that lingers long after the final berry is picked.