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PREVIEW
Watch a preview of HIGH SCHOOL. Fast connection Slow connection Audio Only |
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SYNOPSIS
Remember high school? Renowned filmmaker Frederick Wiseman's classic documentary HIGH SCHOOL renders this nearly universal American experience in unforgettable terms. Cited by the Library of Congress as a National Treasure, this 1968 film is both a document of the times and a statement of the ways in which school is used by one generation to pass its values on to the next. A P.O.V. Classics presentation, featuring premieres of landmark documentaries from the past which illuminate contemporary issues. |
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MAKING
THE FILM: AN INTERVIEW WITH FREDERICK WISEMAN P.O.V.: What inspired you to make this film? Frederick Wiseman (FW): One of the subjects of my films is ordinary experience as it's expressed in institutions common in America. I graduated high school in 1947 and I was interested to see what high school was like in 1968. The film is a report on what I found at Northeast High in Philadelphia. P.O.V.: You have often focused on institutions as the subject of your filmmaking explorations — why did you choose this particular topic? FW: High school is a common experience shared by millions of people. I hope that others will be as interested in the topic as I was. P.O.V.: How did you come to choose this particular high school in Philadelphia? FW: I chose Northeast High because at the time it was thought to be one of the best high schools in Philadelphia. I always try to pick an institution that is generally thought to be a good example of its kind. P.O.V.: Your particular style of filmmaking has been described as direct cinema, because of the way you capture events unfolding in front of your camera. Why have you chosen to employ this filmmaking strategy? FW: I have always liked the idea of trying to film ordinary experience. Documentary filmmaking offers the opportunity to do this. P.O.V.: How difficult was it to gain the trust and the participation of the particular high school, its administration, and the students profiled in your film? FW: It was not difficult. I explained to the staff and the students how I worked and what I was trying to do and they agreed. P.O.V.: Have any of the participants in HIGH SCHOOL seen the film — if so, what was their feedback? FW: Many students, faculty and administrators at Northeast saw the film. Some of them were enthusiastic, others were not. P.O.V.: You profiled another high school (an alternative high school in New York City) in HIGH SCHOOL II, why? Should these two films be seen as companion pieces? FW: The only similarity between HIGH SCHOOL and HIGH SCHOOL II is that they both take place in buildings. P.O.V.: Why are you interested in exploring institutions (from a welfare agency to a hospital) or places (i.e. from Central Park to Belfast, Maine) in your films? FW: The institution serves the same function as the net and the lines do on a tennis court: i.e., provide boundaries. Whatever takes place within the institution can be included in the film. What takes place outside is another film. An institution also provides an opportunity to observe contemporary life as it is expressed in places that are common in America and, by implication, other countries. P.O.V.: Any interesting or funny stories related to the making of this film? FW: The students at NE High School, who had not yet seen the film, wore T-shirts saying "Fred Wiseman was right." |
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Press Room: Read the HIGH SCHOOL press release. |
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