Ballet

A documentary exploring the landscape of Madison Square Garden. Filmed in 1997 and prevented from public screening by the property's operators.

Frederick Wiseman observes the ins and outs of the Paris Opera House, including the processes behind seven of their operas: Genus (Wayne McGregor), Le Songe de Médée (Angelin Preljocaj), La Maison de Bernarda (Mats Ek), Paquita (Pierre Lacotte), Casse-Noisette (Rudolf Nureyev), Orphée et Eurydice (Pina Bausch), and Roméo et Juliette (Sasha Walt).

Showcasing the best in international documentaries, Storyville has developed an enviable reputation since its inception more than a decade ago. Screening over 340 films, from some 70 different countries, the strand has garnered a staggering array of awards: five Oscars, 15 Griersons, three Peabodys and two International Emmys. In true, unique, Storyville style, the new series promises to deliver the strand's usual eclectic mix of compelling stories from across the globe.

The famous New York City landmark is given the spotlight, as well as the variety of ways in which people make use of it: running, boating, walking, skating, music, theatre, sports, picnics, parades and concerts. Further illustrated are the complex problems the NYC Parks Department deals with in order to maintain and preserve the park and keep it open and accessible to the public.

Explores a long-term relationship between a man and a woman: the man, Leo Tolstoy; the woman, his wife, Sophia. Married for 36 years, had thirteen children, nine of whom survived, each kept a diary. Although they lived together, in the same house, they frequently wrote letters to each other. Leo insists that they read their diaries aloud to guests at dinner parties. The Tolstoys were also a dysfunctional couple, arguing frequently and being very unhappy with each other while occasionally enjoying passionate moments of reconciliation. Sophia’s monologue explores the joys and struggles of their life together, loosely drawn from their letters to each other and their diary entries.

Employing methods of direct cinema–observation, limited stylization, and non-intervention–this stark look into the State Prison for the Criminally Insane in Bridgewater, Massachusetts shows its denizens, who were often kept in barren cells and infrequently bathed, forced to strip naked publicly, force feeding, and the indifference and bullying by many of the hospital's staff.

What really happens inside the walls of an American high school? Famed documentarian Frederick Wiseman answers that question in this peek inside Philadelphia's Northeast High School, where students constantly clash with teachers, and teachers wage their own battle against the administration. Delving into the everyday struggle teachers face to discipline their unruly charges, the audience is offered a glimpse into the highs and lows at an urban public school.

Founded in 1930, Troisgros has held three Michelin stars for 55 years. The children of the fourth generation, Marie-Pierre and Michel's sons continue the family business: César runs the Michelin-starred restaurant, 'Le Bois sans feuilles' ('The Leafless Wood'), and Léo is in charge of one of the other two Troisgros restaurants, 'La Colline du colombier' ('The Dovecote Hill'). From the daily market to the cheese maturing cellars, via the vineyard, the cattle farm and the vegetable garden adjacent to the restaurant, Menus-Plaisirs is an intimate, sensory journey through the kitchens of one of the world's most prestigious restaurants.

As an imminent construction project looms over their beloved small-town baseball field, a pair of New England rec-league teams face off for the last time. Tensions flare up and ceremonial laughs are shared as an era of camaraderie and escapism fades into an uncertain future.

Rachel loves her life, her students, her friends, her ex, her guitar lessons. When she falls in love with Ali, she grows close to his 4-year-old daughter, Leila. She tucks her in, looks after her, and loves her like a mother... which she isn’t. Not yet. Rachel is 40. The desire for a family of her own is growing stronger, and the clock is ticking. Is it too late?

Direct cinema pioneer Frederick Wiseman takes an in-depth look at the preeminent American university during a fall semester that saw a vigorous debate over tuition hikes, budget cuts, and the future of higher education in the United States.

When aimless Manon begins work at À mon seul désir, a strip club that offers high concept performances, she instantly bonds with her fellow strippers, particularly Mia, an aspiring actress with a boyfriend and child. Manon learns that it is “not easy money, but fast money” and when she finds herself falling for Mia, she is forced to question her priorities as she explores her newfound erotic life.

Veteran award-winning documentarian Frederick Wiseman turns his lens on the world of boxing, specifically on a gym in Austin, Texas. Unobtrusively recording the simple comings and goings at the facility, Wiseman documents daily life at the gym, its many patrons, their routines, and its owner, Richard Lord.

A cinéma vérité exploration of the grueling schedules, auditions, lighting design, and backstage operations at the famous Parisian nude cabaret, Le Crazy Horse de Paris, over a ten-week period, specifically capturing the creation of a new show put together by choreographer Philippe Decouflé. Wiseman highlights the immense precision, discipline, and artistic effort required by dancers and staff to maintain the legendary cabaret's distinct aesthetic.

An epic look at Boston’s city government, covering racial justice, housing, climate action, and more, exploring the government of Boston, MA, 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.

Frederick Wiseman is back to school, this time at Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS), a successful alternative high school in New York's Spanish Harlem, 85-95% of whose graduates go on to four-year colleges. Illustrating the school's emphasis on the 'Habits of Mind' program—weighing evidence; awareness of multiple points of view; seeing connections and relationships; speculating on possibilities; and assessing values—sequences highlight the school's approach to learning include classroom activities in the humanities and sciences; family conferences; discussions of race, class, and gender; faculty meetings; disciplinary problems; sex education; conflict resolution by students; and student council meetings.