City Hall

Ever since Juvenile Court (1973), Frederick Wiseman has been pushing the boundaries of what a documentary feature can be – and how long of a running time they can have. His newest film clocks in at four hours and thirty-five minutes, and yet it's not his longest one. This time, the 91-year-old filmmaker is not looking to unveil criminals or uncover scandals, but instead inserts his camera almost invisibly into the daily routines and events of his subjects. His technique relies heavily on the editing to find a narrative plot in vast amounts of footage.

While Wiseman's previous films have covered institutions like the National Gallery in London and the New York Public Library, City Hall brings us inside Boston's City Hall. Focusing on day-to-day proceedings, the film covers topics like racial justice, housing and climate change – to name but a few. Led by mayor Marty Walsh, Boston's public servants spend their days in service to the people. Through Wiseman's lens, our four hours of joining them at work flies by, leaving us both enlightened and entertained.