The Ralph Handel Story (2006)
Co-directed by Benny and Josh Safdie, this deadpan mock-documentary follows Ralph Handel, a buttoned-down office worker who spends his nights bombing on the open-mic circuit. Staged as cinéma vérité that edges into performance art—Safdie performed the disastrous sets in real clubs—the film channels Andy Kaufman’s anti-comedy and the self-reflexive diary mode of David Holzman’s Diary to sketch a sly portrait of a life quietly coming undone.
Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie.
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Benny Safdie as Ralph Handel |
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Josh Safdie as The Director (voice) |
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Peter Rand as The Boss (voice) |
| Directing | Benny Safdie | Director |
| Directing | Josh Safdie | Director |
| Sound | Jack Lewis | Original Music Composer |
| Camera | Josh Safdie | Director of Photography |
| Editing | Benny Safdie | Editor |