A Documentary Film by Charlie Birns







About
What begins as a documentary about a legendary New York Method acting class unravels when the teacher and students revolt against the film — pulling Charlie, both filmmaker and student, deeper and deeper into the “method” he came to document. Volatile, funny, and spiritually searching, The Whole World Is a Lie asks: in a world of artifice, can truth be captured — or only created?

Executive Producers
 Robert Greene (Procession, Bisbee '17)
and Susan Norget

“Wildly entertaining.”
- Reverse Shot“Formally ingenious and emotionally resonant. An enthralling depiction of a process that goes completely off-the-rails.”
- In Review Online“Had me laughing out loud… and shaking my head in astonishment. Every minute, it makes you recalibrate how you feel about everyone you’re watching.”
- Sky Sitney
Festival Director, DC/DOX
(on the Nerds Rule the World Podcast)“Refreshingly one of a kind.”
- The Moveable Fest“Compelling. Both fascinating and a little uneasy to watch.”
- Film-Forward

Screenings
pRIOR
June 13, 2026
DC/DOX Film Festival
Washington, DC
Regal Gallery Place
Festival Page

May 1, 2026
MoMI First Look 2026
NYC
Museum of the Moving Image
Festival Page


Press
New InterviewI Want to Destroy You:
Charlie Birns & Shonni EnelowREVIEWIn Review Online
REVIEWReverse Shot

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