Kalina Bertin is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, most noted for her 2017 film Manic."Entertainment: Canadian filmmaker Kalina Bertin talks about her intimate doc 'Manic'". The Suburban, April 27, 2017.
A graduate of the film studies program at the Université du Québec à Montréal, she made Manic about her siblings' struggles with bipolar disorder.T'Cha Dunlevy, "'So exposed': Filmmaker's debut, Manic, mines her family's mental health history". Montreal Gazette, February 1, 2018. She ultimately uncovered the story of her biological father, a Montserratian cult leader who also suffered from bipolar disorder, and who had, unbeknownst to Bertin until making the film, also fathered at least 12 other children with four other women.
Manic premiered at the 2017 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival,Laura Anne Harris, "HotDocs Interview: Director Kalina Bertin explores her family’s bipolar disorder in Manic". Seventh Row, May 2, 2017. where Bertin was selected by Daniel Cross of EyeSteelFilm as the recipient of a $5,000 grant for emerging women documentary filmmakers."Daniel Cross wins Don Haig Award". Realscreen, May 1, 2017.
Manic received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Feature Length Documentary at the 6th Canadian Screen Awards,Pat Mullen, "Canadian Screen Awards Preview: Picks and Foolish Predictions". Cinemablographer, March 11, 2018. and a Prix Iris nomination for Best Documentary Film at the 20th Quebec Cinema Awards.André Duchesne, "Iris: Le problème d'infiltration et Hochelaga en tête des nominations". La Presse, April 10, 2018. The film was also shortlisted for the Prix collégial du cinéma québécois in 2019.
Bertin has also been a cinematographer and camera operator on other documentary films, including Byblos, Prisons Without Bars (Prisons sans barreaux) and 7 Beats per Minute.
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