For more than a half-century, Fred Wiseman has been telling the story of the United States, one film at a time, documenting institutions, their social structure and the people who are part of them or who use them. Wiseman’s film tiles are deceptively simple: Welfare, Central Park, Public Housing. The names suggest a universality, and his latest is City Hall – the admin building of the City of Boston. Like other Wiseman movies though, the documentary is fundamentally a portrait of a people. Without narration or the usual documentary prompts, City Hall is an exploration of civil society and the common good.
Note: Ticket includes bonus content: a recording of a conversation between Wiseman and Mayor Marty Walsh!