EVANSTON, Ill. --- Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman will screen his film “In Jackson Heights” on Monday, April 18, at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum at Northwestern University.
The free, public viewing will be followed by a talkback moderated by Debra Tolchinsky, associate professor of radio/television/film and director of the MFA in documentary media program.
Prolific, profoundly influential and compelling, Wiseman’s documentary films have been called some of America’s most valued reflections. For nearly half a century, he has examined institutions (mostly American) and challenged viewers to reflect upon democracy, inequality, conformity and creativity.
“In Jackson Heights” explores the conflict between maintaining ties to old traditions and adapting to American values through the lens of a multiethnic neighborhood in Queens, New York. Jackson Heights, where 167 languages are spoken, is one of the most culturally diverse communities in the U.S.
Wiseman is the School of Communication’s 2016 Hoffman Professor for Documentary Media, a short-term filmmaker residency.
The event will take place at Pick-Laudati Hall in the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art at 40 Arts Circle Drive on the Evanston campus. The event is free and open to the public. Register here.