Bitter Jester (2003)

BITTER JESTER is the first documentary to give us a glimpse into the real process behind the comedy we watch in clubs, on television and at the movies. Through the eyes of comedienne Maija DiGiorgio, we take a guided tour of the comedy business at its rawest. Behind the jokes and smiles, Maija reveals what really goes on in the minds of so many comedians. She allows us to witness a side of stand-up comedy we rarely see, from young comics unable to get stage time to comedy superstars musing on their own failures. Over the course of nearly two years, Maija documents her own roller coaster career in stand-up comedy and searches for the answers we all seek. This extraordinarily bizarre and entertaining journey takes her back and forth across the country several times as she seeks the insight and wisdom of fellow comics. Original, spontaneous and incredibly funny, BITTER JESTER is a unique glimpse into the soft underbelly of stand-up comedy and the personalities who inhabit it. It is a story of struggle, self doubt, and the emotional pain from which humor is born and the powerful role it plays uplifting us and keeping us sane.