“It is as open and revealing as a filmed experience has ever been. You look misery in the eye and you realize there’s nothing to be afraid of. By the end we are so thoroughly involved that tears well up, because we simply have no other means of responding to the intensity of this plain view of the ordinary activities in Metropolitan Hospital.” - Pauline Kael, The New Yorker
“As the hospital workers struggle to cope with the disasters pouring into the emergency room, the viewer begins to realize that they are watching not the dim events of bureaucratic procedure, but large and grave instances of suffering, courage, and endurance.” - David Denby, The New York Review of Books
HOSPITAL shows the daily activities of a large urban hospital with the emphasis on the emergency ward and outpatient clinics. The cases depicted illustrate how medical expertise, availability of resources, organizational considerations, and the nature of communication among the staff and patients affect the delivery of appropriate health care. (Zipporah Films)
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Outstanding Achievement in News Documentary Programming, Primetime Emmy
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