“Social reality is infinitely more complicated than ideology. There's no reason a documentary film shouldn't be as complex and subtle as a good novel.”-Frederick Wiseman
Frederick Wiseman is not only one of America's greatest documentarians, he is one of our greatest makers of movies. Celebrated as a chronicler of social institutions, Wiseman has called his works “reality fictions.” His best films refine masses of raw footage into rhythmically structured, richly textured pieces that create a powerful sense of narrative time without relying on conventions of story or character. Working with the techniques of cinema verité-no voice-over narration, no talking heads-Wiseman has been accused of disingenuousness, of subtly manipulating the viewer while presenting his subjects as though nobody were watching. However, he is the first to acknowledge that his films, even if they don't call attention to his own role as filmmaker, have a point of view; they don't pretend to objectivity, only to a degree of fairness. Though Wiseman was once a lawyer, his films do not present arguments; instead, they immerse viewers in situations, providing experiences for people to draw on in forming opinions and making decisions. While early works like Titicut Follies, about a mental institution, and High School were clearly critical of the authorities they represented, Wiseman's vision has grown in complexity and ambiguity over the years, combining compassion with skepticism and a healthy sense of irony, condescending to neither subjects nor audience. This series presents a substantial selection from the filmmaker's prodigious body of work, including a magnificent new fiction film that offers a fresh perspective on Wiseman's art.
-Juliet Clark
During the first week of April, UC Berkeley's Townsend Center for the Humanities presents Frederick Wiseman in residence as Una's Lecturer in the Humanities. He will deliver Una's Lecture, titled “The Making and Reading of a Documentary Film,” on April 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Wheeler Auditorium. During his campus residency Wiseman will also participate in a faculty panel on ethnography and film, and visit with classes in film and journalism. For information on these events, please contact the Townsend Center at (510) 643-9670.
