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Forever curious, never daunted, Frederick Wiseman sought to repair the world through film

JL;DR SUMMARY Frederick Wiseman, whose passing at 96 marks the end of an era in documentary filmmaking, was a luminary who dedicated his life to holding a mirror to American society through his 45 films. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

InfluenceJewish IdentityDocumentaryTikkun OlamAmerican SocietyFilmmakingQuestionsCinemaFrederick WisemanEthical Filmmaking

Places mentioned

Cannes, Île-de-France, France
"Frederick Wiseman attends the 2024 Cannes Film Festival."
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
"Born Jan. 1, 1930, in Boston, Mass., Wiseman grew up in a Jewish household that never made a big show of its Jewishness, yet never let it slip from mind."
Bridgewater, Massachusetts, United States
"Wiseman bought a 16mm camera and went to Bridgewater State Hospital to film Titicut Follies."
Chicago, Illinois, United States
"The camera simply sits, bearing witness to public housing in Chicago, an inner-city high school in Philadelphia, Boston city government, a Dallas department store, a welfare office, a library in Queens, smalltown Indiana, and two views of domestic violence in Florida."
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
"The camera simply sits, bearing witness to public housing in Chicago, an inner-city high school in Philadelphia, Boston city government, a Dallas department store, a welfare office, a library in Queens, smalltown Indiana, and two views of domestic violence in Florida."
Dallas, Texas, United States
"The camera simply sits, bearing witness to public housing in Chicago, an inner-city high school in Philadelphia, Boston city government, a Dallas department store, a welfare office, a library in Queens, smalltown Indiana, and two views of domestic violence in Florida."
Queens, New York, United States
"The camera simply sits, bearing witness to public housing in Chicago, an inner-city high school in Philadelphia, Boston city government, a Dallas department store, a welfare office, a library in Queens, smalltown Indiana, and two views of domestic violence in Florida."
smalltown Indiana, Indiana, United States
"The camera simply sits, bearing witness to public housing in Chicago, an inner-city high school in Philadelphia, Boston city government, a Dallas department store, a welfare office, a library in Queens, smalltown Indiana, and two views of domestic violence in Florida."
Florida, United States
"The camera simply sits, bearing witness to public housing in Chicago, an inner-city high school in Philadelphia, Boston city government, a Dallas department store, a welfare office, a library in Queens, smalltown Indiana, and two views of domestic violence in Florida."
Paris, Île-de-France, France
"Wisemans focus was mainly on the United States, though he did film elsewhere especially in Paris where he filmed at a strip club and a dance rehearsal at the Paris Opera Ballet."

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Retrieved 2026-02-17 05:31:01 UTC
Curated 2026-02-17 08:30:28 UTC