Stylish, affecting, and witty all in the same breath, this celebrated film portrays the life of Joseph Cassuto, Alan Berliner’s maternal grandfather, whose yearning for success and acclaim led him far away from home. Cassuto, a Palestinian Jew, and his family started out in Egypt, where he led a vibrant social life. He was, literally, at the center of every photograph. The bombing of Pearl Harbor split the family, and Cassuto’s wife and two youngest sons left for the United States. Though Cassuto eventually joined them, he could never adapt to New York life. His business concerns eventually led him to live in Japan for most of the year. Completed years after his grandfather’s death, Berliner uses found footage, family photographs and films, and interviews with relatives to construct a portrait of this elusive, polarizing figure. To his business colleagues, Cassuto is still a model of success. His family’s recollections are more complicated, to say the least.  ST