Manic chronicles filmmaker Kalina Bertin’s struggle to make sense of the legacy of mental illness wreaking havoc over her siblings’ lives. Convinced that her father holds a key piece of the puzzle, she sets out to find the truth about him, and discovers a man known alternately as a cult leader, a scam artist, a prophet, and a father of fifteen. Manic invites the viewer on a compelling and intimate journey through time and through the mind, where past and present collide.
Kalina Bertin — Director, Producer, Cinematographer.
After graduating from film school in Montreal (UQÀM), Kalina Bertin quickly realized that if she didn’t set out to understand the mental illness in her family it would destroy her. This process gave birth to her award-winning documentary film MANIC, which explores the legacy of bipolar disorder in her family. After premiering at Hot Docs and winning the Don Haig Award Pay it Forward Award, MANIC won an Iris Award at the Québec Cinéma Gala and received two nominations by the Canadian Academy of Film and Television (Canadian Screen Awards).
Kalina expanded her storytelling into immersive media with Manic VR, a virtual reality experience that was awarded the prestigious Golden Nica at Ars Electronica in Austria. Kalina has worked as a director at Felix and Paul Studios and signed the cinematography for Yuki Kang’s award-winning documentary 7 Beats Per Minute (SXSW 2024). She’s been a keynote speaker at the MIT Open Doc Lab and the Busan Int. Film Festival. Highlighting the power of her voice within the industry, Kalina was nominated for the emerging filmmaker special prize at the 34th Gémeaux Awards.
With the support of SODEC, TELEFILM Canada and CALQ, Kalina has wrapped development for CÉLESTE, her first fiction film, which she wrote in collaboration with filmmaker Geneviève Duludes-De Celles. Production is projected for early 2027.
