Phoney(1973)

Phoney is an experimental film that captures raw, unfiltered moments of human conflict through telephone conversations. The documentary centers on Brigid Berlin, a provocative artist and socialite, as she engages in brutal verbal sparring with her mother over deeply personal subjects like her weight. Interspersed with these confrontations are intimate scenes of Berlin alone in bed, consuming cream pies with abandon—a visceral response to the emotional turmoil of her family dynamics. The film presents a stark, unflinching portrait of dysfunction and vulnerability, using the telephone as a window into private anguish. Rather than judge or explain, Phoney simply observes the messy reality of relationships between mothers and daughters, making it a compelling study of human behavior and emotional pain.