Frederick Wiseman's "Titicut Follies" and "Welfare"
Before you watch Frederick Wiseman's 1967 documentary Titicut Follies (on kanopy), please read this brief introduction with some remarks by Wiseman
This can be a very difficult film to watch. We see the abuse of patients, and the body of a deceased patient. There are discussions of sexual abuse and suicide. If this feels like more than you want to see right now, you can instead watch Wiseman's 1975 film Welfare, which uses a similar approach to filmmaking, and also brings up questions of ethics and observation. In both films, Wiseman intended to expose how people are abused, by the American prison and welfare systems. In your responses, think about the social role of the film you watch. As you think about why he films, pay attention to how Wiseman films, and the relationship between the two.
History of Documentary
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History of Documentary
The films "Titicut Follies" (1967) and "Welfare" (1975) by Frederick Wiseman offer incisive analyses of the American prison and welfare systems, providing insight into the mistreatment and intricacies inherent in these establishments. Wiseman's documentary filmmaking style encourages intellectual reflection, questions conventions, and provides a platform for social commentary.
In "Titicut Follies," Wiseman shows Bridgewater State Hospital inmates' terrible circumstances through direct cinema, emphasizing observation and minimum interference. The film shows structural faults in the penitentiary system through inhumane conditions, public strip searches, force-feeding, and staff indifference (Le dinamiche discordanti, 2017). Wiseman lets viewers form his conclusions about the patients' horrific treatment by showing these unvarnished sequences, evoking empathy and anger. In "Welfare," Wiseman examines 1970s New York City welfare. The documentary shows welfare claimants and workers' hardships and complications. The film's raw black-and-white images and unscripted client-caseworker discussions reveal welfare syste...
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