City Hall | |
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![]() Official poster | |
Directed by | Frederick Wiseman |
Produced by | Frederick Wiseman Karen Konicek |
Cinematography | John Davey |
Edited by | Frederick Wiseman |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Zipporah Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 272 minutes [1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
City Hall is a 2020 American documentary film directed, edited, and co-produced by Frederick Wiseman. It explores the government of Boston, Massachusetts.
The film had its world premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival on September 8, 2020. It was released through virtual cinema on October 28, 2020, by Zipporah Films, followed by a broadcast on PBS on December 22, 2020.
The film explores the government of Boston, Massachusetts, from racial justice, housing, climate change action and more. Wiseman's documentaries do not have a standard narrative arc, narration, or interviews, but are based on observation of day-to-day organizational life, in this case the activities of Boston's city government in fall 2018 and winter 2019. Much of the film follows Mayor Marty Walsh in activities such as meetings with aides at City Hall, addressing business leaders about the impact of climate change on the Harbor, listening to veterans at Faneuil Hall on November 11, observing Thanksgiving Day at Goodwill Industries, and giving his state of the city address at Symphony Hall. A second major theme of the film is public servants helping people in need: the eviction prevention task force, another task force on economic advancement for Latina women, and an economic development adviser working with an ethnically-focused grocery store. [2]
On numerous instances the Mayor and public servants complain about the policies of the Trump Administration. In an interview done for the Toronto International Film Festival, Wiseman says, "I didn't set out to make an anti-Trump film... it becomes an anti-Trump film because the professionals, the mayor, and the people who work for city hall in Boston are people who care and believe in the democratic process and the democratic norms, and their work is an illustration of that. So that the film becomes—because of Trump's horrible behavior—it represents everything that he doesn't stand for." [3]
The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Venice Film Festival on September 8, 2020. [4] It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2020, and the New York Film Festival on September 25, 2020. [5] [6] [7] The film was released through virtual cinema on October 28, 2020, by Zipporah Films. [8] The film was broadcast on PBS in the United States on December 22, 2020. [9]
City Hall received positive reviews from most film critics. It holds a 98% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 64 reviews, with an average of 8.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A glimpse of local government at work that's as patiently observant as it is engrossing, City Hall adds another insightful gem to master documentarian Frederick Wiseman's filmography." [10] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 88 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [11]
Cahiers du Cinéma named it the best film of 2020. [12]
High School is a 1968 American documentary film by Frederick Wiseman that shows a typical day for students and faculty at a Pennsylvanian high school during the late 1960s. It is one of the first direct cinema documentaries. It was shot over five weeks between March and April 1968 at Northeast High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The film was not shown in Philadelphia at the time of its release, because of Wiseman's concerns over what he called "vague talk" of a lawsuit.
Titicut Follies is a 1967 American direct cinema documentary film produced, written, and directed by Frederick Wiseman and filmed by John Marshall. It deals with the patient-inmates of Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, a Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The title is taken from that of a talent show put on by the hospital staff. Titicut is the Wampanoag name for the nearby Taunton River.
Frederick Wiseman is an American filmmaker, documentarian, and theater director. His work is primarily about exploring American institutions. In 2017, The New York Times called him "one of the most important and original filmmakers working today".
Man from Plains is a 2007 American documentary film written and directed by Jonathan Demme, which chronicles former President of the United States Jimmy Carter's book tour across America to publicize his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. For the book promotion, Carter grants interviews to selected newspapers, magazines, and television shows, such as CNN, PBS, Air America Radio, NPR, Chicago Life, Los Angeles Times, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Marwencol is a 2010 American documentary film that explores the life and work of artist and photographer Mark Hogancamp. It is the debut feature of director Jeff Malmberg, produced through his production company Open Face. It was the inspiration for Welcome to Marwen, a 2018 drama directed by Robert Zemeckis.
The Look of Silence is a 2014 internationally co-produced documentary film directed by Joshua Oppenheimer about the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66. The film is a companion piece to his 2012 documentary The Act of Killing. Executive producers were Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, and Andre Singer. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 88th Academy Awards.
Janis: Little Girl Blue is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Amy J. Berg, about the American singer-songwriter Janis Joplin. It had its world premiere at the 2015 Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2015, and was released theatrically in the United States by FilmRise on November 27, 2015.
In Jackson Heights is a 2015 documentary film about the community of Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, directed by Frederick Wiseman. The film received widespread critical acclaim. In 2017, the film was considered the thirteenth "Best Film of the 21st Century So Far" by The New York Times.
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Ema is a 2019 Chilean drama film directed by Pablo Larraín from a screenplay by Guillermo Calderón and Alejandro Moreno. It stars Gael García Bernal, Mariana Di Girolamo, Paula Luchsinger, Cristian Suarez, Paola Giannini and Santiago Cabrera.
Monrovia, Indiana is a 2018 American documentary film edited, co-produced, and directed by Frederick Wiseman. The film documents daily life in the titular small farming community of Monrovia, Indiana. It premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2018, and made its premiere in the United States on September 30, 2018, at the New York Film Festival.
American Dharma is a 2018 documentary film directed by Errol Morris. The film follows the career of political strategist Steve Bannon. The film was released on November 1, 2019, by Utopia.
The Kingmaker is a 2019 documentary film written and directed by Lauren Greenfield, featuring the political career of Imelda Marcos with a focus on the Marcos family's efforts to rehabilitate the family's image and to return to political power, including her plans to see her son, Bongbong, become President of the Philippines, and the alliance that Bongbong and Imee Marcos established with Rodrigo Duterte in his bid to win the 2016 Philippine presidential election.
Collective is a 2019 documentary film directed, written, produced and edited by Alexander Nanau. The film centers on the 2016 public health scandal following the Colectiv nightclub fire. The film follows dual stories of investigative journalists at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor uncovering public healthcare corruption and maladministration, and the government's response to the crisis at the Ministry of Health.
A Thousand Cuts is a 2020 Philippine-American documentary film about Maria Ressa, the founder of the online news site Rappler. Directed by Ramona Diaz, it explores the conflicts between the press and the Filipino government under President Rodrigo Duterte.
Notturno is a 2020 internationally co-produced documentary film directed by Gianfranco Rosi. It had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 8 September 2020. It was selected as the Italian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
Quo Vadis, Aida? is a 2020 internationally co-produced war drama film written, produced and directed by Jasmila Žbanić. An international co-production of twelve production companies, the film was shown in the main competition section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival.
Other People's Children is a 2022 French drama film directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, starring Virginie Efira, Roschdy Zem, Chiara Mastroianni and Callie Ferreira-Goncalves. The tragic comedy tells the story of a middle-aged teacher who starts a new relationship. She forms a close bond with the young daughter of her partner.
Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros is a 2023 French documentary film written and directed by Frederick Wiseman. It premiered out of competition at the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival.