“One of Frederick Wiseman’s greatest films, balanced between the grand, meditative viewpoint of the recent work and the intense focus of a JUVENILE COURT. Like any good Wiseman film, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is dense with unforgettable images, passages and vignettes: a meeting of counselors hacking their way through the thicket of hopelessly tangled emotions between a recently admitted family; a group of very proper old ladies led on a tour through the facility, gasping at every horrifying statistic and detail; and perhaps most unforgettable of all, an old woman, recently arrived at the shelter, who has retreated into a protective world of her own.” - Kent Jones, Film Comment
“10 minutes into the film you'll be white-knuckled and unable to look away.” - Elvis Mitchell, The New York Times
Sunday, February 2, 1:15 p.m. | DOMESTIC VIOLENCE shows the Tampa, Florida, police responding to domestic violence calls and the work of The Spring, the principal shelter in Tampa for women and children. Sequences with the police include police response, intervention, and attempted resolution of domestic violence calls. Sequences at the shelter include intake interviews, individual counseling sessions, anger management training, group therapy, staff meetings, conversations among clients and between clients and staff, and school activities, therapy and counseling for children at the shelter. (Zipporah Films)
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Silver Hugo, Best Documentary, Chicago International Film Festival
The Worlds of Wiseman: Don’t let anyone ever tell you a Frederick Wiseman film is simple. Despite their matter-of-fact titles and just-the-facts descriptions, Wiseman’s documentaries are complicated, messy, demanding, rich, and always rewarding. 33 of his films, using original 16mm negatives and sound elements, with materials personally reviewed and approved by Wiseman, have been recently restored in 4K. The Film Center is proud to be the exclusive home for the Chicago premiere of the complete restored collection. Restorations made possible by Zipporah Films, the Library of Congress, Harvard Film Archive, DuArt Labs, and Goldcrest Post Production. Read more
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu