Frederick Wiseman

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Photo of slide lecture "Walker Evans at 100"

"Documentary Film and Privacy: An Analysis of the Legal and Ethical Issues in Documentary Film"
with Frederick Wiseman, Independent Filmmaker and General Manager, Zipporah Films, Inc.

Please note that the lecture and related film screenings are scheduled for locations off-site from the Center for Documentary Studies

Lecture by Frederick Wiseman
Monday, March 26, 5 p.m.
Love Auditorium, Levine Science Research Center at Duke
University
Free and open to the public

Mr. Wiseman will use sequences from several of his films to examine some of the legal and ethical issues in documentary film.

Frederick Wiseman is a highly acclaimed documentary filmmaker whose career has spanned nearly 40 years. He has created a body of work consisting of 36 films focusing on American institutions including prisons, schools, the military, and even the world of high fashion. Among his numerous awards are the George Polk Career Award (2006), the American Society of Cinematographers Distinguished Achievement Award (2006), and the Peabody Award for Significant and Meritorious Achievement (1990). He is an active member of many boards and committees and serves as an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and as a Fellow with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Part of the Duke University Office of the Provost's Lecture Series, "Privacy at Risk"

In anticipation of Mr. Wiseman's presentation, a retrospective of his films will be shown in the Nasher Museum of Art sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Center for Documentary Studies and the Film/Video/Digital Program. These films are free of charge and open to the public and can be viewed independently or in addition to his lecture.

Law and Order
March 19, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
Screening at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

Law and Order (1969) documents the routine activities of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department. Filmed in the highest crime district of the city, the film surveys the wide range of work the police are asked to perform: enforcing the law, maintaining order and providing general social services. Some of the incidents shown include arrests of a car thief and prostitute, a clothing store hold-up, medical emergencies, intercession in family arguments.

Titicut Follies
March 21, 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Screening at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

Titicut Follies (1967) is a stark and graphic portrayal of the conditions that existed at the State Prison for the Criminally Insane at Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The film documents the various ways the inmates are treated by the guards, social workers and psychiatrists.

Model
March 24, 7:00–9:15 p.m.
Screening at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

Model (1980) shows the daily activities of the models and behind-the-scenes players in the world of high fashion. The film follows male and female models assigned to TV commercials, fashion shows and print advertising for a variety of products: designer collections, fur coats, sports clothes and automobiles. The models are seen at work with photographers whose techniques illustrate different styles of fashion and product photography. The business aspects of running an agency are shown as well: interviewing prospective models, career counseling, arranging portfolios, talking with clients and planning trips.

Near Death
March 25, 1:00–7:30 p.m. (with two 15-minute intermissions)
Screening at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

Near Death (1989) is a film about the Medical Intensive Care Unit at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. The film is concerned with how critically ill people face death. More specifically, the film presents the complex interrelationships among patients, families, doctors, nurses, hospital staff and religious advisors as they confront the personal, ethical, medical, psychological, religious and legal issues involved in making decisions about whether or not to give life-sustaining treatment to dying patients.

banner image:

Professor Alex Harris during a slide lecture accompanying the fall 2003 exhibition, Walker Evans at 100. Photograph by Christopher Sims.

Center for Documentary Studies
1317 W. Pettigrew Street
Durham, NC 27705

telephone: (919) 660-3663
fax: (919) 681-7600
email: docstudies@duke.edu

See: directions to the Center for Documentary Studies

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