Monrovia, Indiana

Over the course of 50 years and 43 documentaries, Frederick Wiseman has become our most dedicated filmic chronicler of American life and institutions—as well as one of the most-shown filmmakers in the Wexner Center’s history (including a memorable retrospective and visit in 2006). For his latest project, Wiseman visits the American heartland to observe the small town of Monrovia, Indiana (population 1063). Capturing the rhythms and textures of rural midwestern life, this documentary features Wiseman’s trademark scenes of institutional processes (from town-planning commission meetings to elaborate Masonic rituals) as well as the intimate moments lived outside of this country’s urban centers. (143 mins., DCP)