Documentary Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman to Visit as Part of Monthlong Retrospective

Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, one of world cinema’s unmatched visionaries, will visit the Wexner Center on April 1 to introduce High School, perhaps his most well- known film. The event is part of a monthlong retrospective of Wiseman’s wide-ranging work, most of which explores the networks formed in society—in schools, health and judicial systems, and commercial and military establishments. The creator of more than 40 films, many epic in duration (and virtually all produced for public television), the Cambridge, Massachusetts–based filmmaker remains a peerlessly incisive chronicler of the nation’s orders and disorders. Or, as he says of his work: “Public institutions in a democracy are meant to be transparent, open to public inspection. One aspect of public inspection is documentary filmmaking.” The series kicks off March 31 with a double feature of Titicut Follies, Wiseman’s first film, and Law & Order, an examination of the Kansas City police force. Unless otherwise noted, tickets for each evening are $6 for the general public, $4 Wexner Center members, students, and senior citizens.

FRIDAY, MARCH 31 / 7 pm | 2nd film 8:35 pm Titicut Follies (1967) and Law & Order (1969) / double feature Wiseman’s first film, Titicut Follies is a still-startling inside look at life within the State Prison for the Criminally Insane at Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Law & Order focuses on the police force in Kansas City, Missouri, and particularly on the balance officers are called on to maintain between enforcing the law, preserving order, and providing general social services.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 / 7 pm High School (1968), introduced by Frederick Wiseman $7 for general public, $5 for Wexner Center members and students Perhaps Wiseman's most well-known film, High School is a groundbreaking, intimate look at life within a lower-middle-class school in Philadelphia.

SUNDAY, APRIL 2 / 2 pm

Juvenile Court (1973)

Set in Memphis, Juvenile Court shows the complex variety of family cases brought before the law—cases involving foster home placement, drug abuse, armed robbery, child abuse, and sexual offenses.

THURSDAY, APRIL 6 / 7 pm The Store (1983) This behind-the-scenes look at Neiman Marcus’s flagship location and corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas, follows staff as they select, present, and advertise a vast array of luxury products.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 / 7 pm

Public Housing (1997) The Ida B. Wells development on Chicago’s South Side is the site of Public Housing, an extraordinarily vivid look at life lived on the edge of poverty.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 / 7 pm | 2nd film 9 pm Missile (1987) & Basic Training (1971) / double feature Missile is an eye-opening look at officers operating the Launch Control Centers for the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Set in a camp in Fort Knox, Kentucky, Basic Training follows a company of raw draftees and enlisted men through the nine-week period that will convert them from civilians into soldiers.

THURSDAY, APRIL 27 / 7 pm Domestic Violence (1997) Included on numerous “10-best” lists, Domestic Violence follows a number of women and their children in Tampa, Florida, as they move out of abusive situations and into shelters, where they begin to take control of their lives.

UPCOMING FILM HIGHLIGHTS Other highlights in film coming this spring:

• The third Rare Films from the Baseball Hall of Fame event will be held on April 7 and 8.

• April 20: The Banff Mountain Film Festival highlights award- winning selections from last November’s festival in Banff, Canada, focusing on outdoor adventure filmmaking. This screening is copresented with Ohio State’s Department of Recreational Sports and its Outdoor Adventure Center, and Explore Columbus

• On May 16 and 17, Ohio filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichart will screen their A Lion in the House, a wrenching documentary about families dealing with cancer. Bognar and Reichart will introduce the film both evenings. A panel discussion on the subject will be held on May 21.

• The 11th Ohio Short Film and Video Showcase takes place on May 13. This annual event is intended to provide Ohio's independent media artists a chance to show their work in a theatrical setting before an audience. There is also a Youth Division for film and video artists 18 and under.