Normal Life Pictures

About Us

At Normal Life Pictures, we are passionate about telling great stories through film and music.

We develop, produce and direct documentary films that put a human face on the most important issues of our time. We strive to tell well-crafted, narrative-driven films that build empathy and understanding between audiences and the unique characters that we follow.

We work with recording companies and independent producers to help bring their ambitious music projects to life. We are able to raise financing from innovative sources and produce complex recording sessions at the highest level. We regularly produce and direct live performance videos and EPKs for major labels.

We are constantly looking for new ideas, new collaborators and new ways of harnessing our experience. We are international in outlook, with a presence in both London and New York, and extensive contacts on both sides of the Atlantic. So if there’s something that you’d like to discuss, please get in touch.

Hugo Berkeley

Hugo Berkeley is an award-winning director and producer of documentaries and television programs whose work has appeared on PBS, HBO, CNN, MTV and VH1. In 2009, he directed and filmed “The Market Maker” for PBS/WNET about agricultural development in Ethiopia. He is the winner of the 2003 Tribeca Documentary Award for his first film, “A Normal Life”, about a group of young friends in post-war Kosovo. He co-produced and filmed the theatrical documentary “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love,” released worldwide in 2008. He has more than a dozen years experience producing and editing television programs including MTV’s True Life series, VH1 Rock Docs, CNN Heroes and many others. He also frequently directs documentaries for music companies and charities.

Passionate about harnessing media for social transformation, Hugo is a former UN Young Leader for ICT & Development and a MacArthur Foundation Digital Media & Learning Award winner. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and lives in London with his wife and daughter.

Eli Cane

Eli Cane joined Normal Life Pictures in 2009 after seven years as a senior production manager at Nonesuch Records. In 2010, he partnered with renowned Jazz producer Bob Bleden to realize “Miles Español” for E1 Entertainment, slated for release in 2011. He is a regular contributor to E1’s production process, working on numerous new releases for 2011 and beyond. He also produces and directs EPKs, “making of” documentaries and live performance videos for recording companies including E1, Nonesuch, Warp and Savoy. In 2009, Eli produced, music supervised and recorded audio for “The Market Maker” on the PBS/WNET series Wide Angle.

During his tenure at Nonesuch Records, Eli oversaw production for more than 150 albums, including a dozen Grammy winners, and was Executive Producer of jazz trumpeter Nicholas Payton’s “Into the Blue”. He has produced recordings and live events for numerous African artists, including Youssou N’Dour, King Sunny Adé, Toumani Diabaté, Rokia Traore, Orchestra Baobab, Oumou Sangare, Ali Farka Touré, and Cheikh Lô. Eli lives in New York.