Peter Rand

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.

An early short film by Josh Safdie, co-written with Benny Safdie and featuring frequent collaborators including Sam Lisenco and Ariel Schulman. Running just over three minutes, it premiered at the 2006 New York Underground Film Festival.