"In Jackson Heights (2015)" was edited, produced, and directed by Frederick Wiseman. Everyone who watches documentary films knows that Wiseman is a genius. As pointed out in the introduction to the film, Wiseman's style was set out in his first film, Titicut Follies, in 1967. He has stayed with that formula ever since.
Wiseman arrives, starts filming, shoots hundreds of hours of film, and then edits his footage down to movie length. (Well, three-hour movie length.) He doesn't use fades, he doesn't use voice-over, he doesn't appear in the movie, and he doesn't add music to tell us if what we're seeing is happy or sad.
We just watch what Wiseman watched, and then what decided to include in his film. The amazing thing is that people don't appear to act differently while they are being filmed. No doubt Wiseman edited out footage of people who were self-conscious, and kept glancing at the camera. Every image we see looks as if people were behaving as if the camera weren't there.
Jackson Heights, Queens is a famous neighborhood because of its diversity. One of the speakers points out that 167 languages are spoken in Jackson Heights. Ethnic diversity is definitely a strong element of the movie, but there are other factors as well. Another theme running through the movie is the interaction of the LGBTQ community with the other inhabitants of the neighborhood. A third element is gentrification, against which Jackson Heights has apparently held out so far. However, according to what we see in the movie, gentrification may actually have already started, and may be unstoppable.
I've seen many Wiseman documentaries, and I've enjoyed and appreciated every one. I believe that he's a unique genius, and we are fortunate to have so many of his movies at our disposal. We saw "In Jackson Heights" at the outstanding Dryden Theatre in the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York. Not only is the Dryden an excellent venue, but the film selection and the pre-film introductions are world class. We're lucky to have a theater of this quality in Rochester.
If you're not fortunate enough to be able to watch "In Jackson Heights" on a large screen, it will work well enough on a small screen. Some of the noise, color, and general excitement may be lost, but most of it will come through. If you love great documentaries, you can't miss this movie!
Wiseman arrives, starts filming, shoots hundreds of hours of film, and then edits his footage down to movie length. (Well, three-hour movie length.) He doesn't use fades, he doesn't use voice-over, he doesn't appear in the movie, and he doesn't add music to tell us if what we're seeing is happy or sad.
We just watch what Wiseman watched, and then what decided to include in his film. The amazing thing is that people don't appear to act differently while they are being filmed. No doubt Wiseman edited out footage of people who were self-conscious, and kept glancing at the camera. Every image we see looks as if people were behaving as if the camera weren't there.
Jackson Heights, Queens is a famous neighborhood because of its diversity. One of the speakers points out that 167 languages are spoken in Jackson Heights. Ethnic diversity is definitely a strong element of the movie, but there are other factors as well. Another theme running through the movie is the interaction of the LGBTQ community with the other inhabitants of the neighborhood. A third element is gentrification, against which Jackson Heights has apparently held out so far. However, according to what we see in the movie, gentrification may actually have already started, and may be unstoppable.
I've seen many Wiseman documentaries, and I've enjoyed and appreciated every one. I believe that he's a unique genius, and we are fortunate to have so many of his movies at our disposal. We saw "In Jackson Heights" at the outstanding Dryden Theatre in the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York. Not only is the Dryden an excellent venue, but the film selection and the pre-film introductions are world class. We're lucky to have a theater of this quality in Rochester.
If you're not fortunate enough to be able to watch "In Jackson Heights" on a large screen, it will work well enough on a small screen. Some of the noise, color, and general excitement may be lost, but most of it will come through. If you love great documentaries, you can't miss this movie!
