Frederick Wiseman celebrates the vibrant streets and bustling community life of one of New York’s most ethnically and culturally diverse neighbourhoods.
‘[The] most richly textured and sumptuously beautiful of Wiseman’s forty documentaries.
Here, in the Jackson Heights district of Queens, at least 167 languages are spoken. More recent immigrants – Latino, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, South Asian – rub shoulders with elderly residents of Jewish, Irish and Italian descent. Stores sell all manner of wares, from baby goats to saris; others offer HIV testing, Tibetan food and classes for aspiring cabbies. Hosted by the Jewish community centre, LGBTIQ activists plan the annual Pride celebrations. Impromptu concerts take place in laundromats, the music melding with the city’s hum and hiss.
Shot in 2014, the impending threat of gentrification Wiseman documented has become a reality and transformed the district – more reason to relish this dazzling snapshot.
When
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Tickets
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190 mins
Rating
Unclassified (15+)
Viewers under the age of 15 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Learn more
READ: The Art of Documentary No. 1
Lola Peploe, The Paris Review, Sep 2018
LISTEN: Legendary U.S. documentarian Frederick Wiseman
The Screen Show, Jun 2022
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3 session pass – $33–45
6 session pass – $66–84
10 session pass – $100–120
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