Spotlight on Frederick Wiseman

Director Frederick Wiseman, recipient of the 2012 Career Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, occupies a space in the world of documentary that’s both groundbreaking and still unique. Rather than focus on a slice-of-life film, or use the narrative tensions associated with fiction to fashion a kind of nonfiction theater, Wiseman found an unobtrusive way to discover the honest drama that lies in the quotidian. From Titicut Follies—his 1967 examination of life in a Massachusetts mental health/correctional facility—on, Wiseman trained his camera and editing skills to show audiences the dangers of institutional inertia, letting us see the victims crushed under that awful weight. (And in the case of Follies, institutional ego; authorities fought to have the film banned because of what Wiseman found and let play out with no judgment on his behalf.)

Bing Theater | Frequently Asked Questions (PDF | 72kb) | Program includes a conversation with Frederick Wiseman and a screening of Boxing Gym.

$7 for LACMA members, students with valid ID, and seniors (62+); $10 for the general public | Members of these four groups can purchase tickets starting at 5 pm on Thursday, December 27 | Tickets: 323 857-6010 or purchase online

$5 for Film Independent, LACMA Film Club, and The New York Times Film Club members | Members of these three groups can purchase tickets starting at 5 pm on Tuesday, December 18 | Tickets: 323 857-6010 or purchase online

Image: © Gretje Ferguson