Direct Cinema Master Frederick Wiseman Passes Away at 96

The master of Direct Cinema, Frederick Wiseman, has passed away.

On February 16 (local time), the company Zipporah Films, founded by Frederick Wiseman, announced that he died at home. Born in 1930, Frederick Wiseman was an active filmmaker who continued to release new works until 2023. He is regarded as a pioneer of the documentary style that completely excludes subtitles, narration, and separate explanations.

To create a work about a specific space or group, he filmed for hundreds of hours, opening the so-called "observational documentary" horizon. He began with the 1967 film 〈Titicut Follies〉, which covered a mental hospital within a Massachusetts prison, and went on to release a total of 45 works. After releasing 〈The Pleasure of the Menu - The Twagro Family〉 in 2023, which captured the Twagro family running a restaurant for three generations, he hinted at retirement due to health issues.

During his lifetime, Frederick Wiseman was recognized for his influence in the film industry, receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2014 and the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2016.