ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

PMA Films Tribute to Frederick Wiseman Runs Through June

festival-fair · 2026-04-28

Portland Museum of Art's PMA Films series "Social Studies: A Tribute to Frederick Wiseman" runs through June, screening seven films spanning the late director's six-decade career. The series includes works from 1968's "High School" to his final film "Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros" (2023). A special co-presentation of "Belfast, Maine" (1999) takes place May 23 at the Colonial Theatre in Belfast, Maine. Wiseman's documentaries capture everyday life in diverse settings—from a Philadelphia high school to a Parisian dance troupe and a Michelin-starred restaurant—creating politically complex portraits of American and French institutions.

Key facts

  • PMA Films presents 'Social Studies: A Tribute to Frederick Wiseman'
  • Series runs through June at Portland Museum of Art
  • Seven films from Wiseman's career are featured
  • Films include 'High School' (1968), 'La Danse' (2009), 'In Jackson Heights' (2015), and 'Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros' (2023)
  • Special screening of 'Belfast, Maine' (1999) on May 23 at Colonial Theatre in Belfast, Maine
  • Wiseman's career spanned over 60 years
  • Wiseman's work documents American life across generations
  • Wiseman died before the series began

Entities

Artists

  • Frederick Wiseman

Institutions

  • PMA Films
  • Portland Museum of Art
  • Colonial Theatre

Locations

  • Portland
  • Maine
  • Philadelphia
  • Belfast

Sources