Director Frederick Wiseman will join via Skype following the screening
Frederick Wiseman’s cinematic portrait of the Paris Opera Ballet is widely considered one of his greatest works, touching on his favorite themes, including dance, teaching and how groups of people push each other to great heights.
“A unique kind of magic: a documentary about the work in art that is itself a work of art.” —The Boston Globe
Tribute: Masters of Cinema
In the world of film, there are significant filmmakers who have redefined our understanding of the motion picture artform over the decades. Each year, the Film Society recognizes the work of one of these master filmmakers—writers, directors, cinematographers—whose bold contributions have left indelible marks on the medium.
MSPIFF’s 2017 Master Honoree is Frederick Wiseman, accomplished filmmaker, documentarian, and theatrical director. Wiseman was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and studied at Williams College and Yale Law School. After a brief stint serving in the Army and living in Paris, Wiseman returned to Boston and began making documentary film. His work has won numerous awards including Guggenheim and MacArthur fellowships.
Wiseman’s style, often referred to as “observational mode,” focuses on the exploration of social institutions, such as hospitals, police departments, and high schools. His first foray into producing feature-length films was The Cool World (‘63), followed by Titicut Follies (‘67), which he both produced and directed. In 2014, Wiseman was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 71st Venice International Film Festival. In 2016, he was a recipient of an Honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.