There's a literal track: who says what to whom, what are people wearing, etcetera. And there's the abstract track: what ideas are suggested by the literal. And the real movie takes place in the relationship between the literal and the abstract.
Frederick WisemanOne's relationship to time is complicated, and sometimes a day will drag on forever and sometimes it'll be over in a flash. When you look back, "I'm old," after 40 or 60 years, I can't believe I'm as old as I am.
Frederick WisemanDocumentary filmmaking ruins you for real life, because you learn to be extremely attentive.
Frederick WisemanEven if I know I'm going to go to a church, I don't know what the minister's going to say.
Frederick Wiseman