Frederick Wiseman is an American film director and documentarian, considered one of the central figures of direct cinema. He is known for his long, observational films that explore American institutions, made without the use of interviews, voice-over narration, or added music. A former lawyer, he made his directorial debut with the controversial *Titicut Follies* (1967), an examination of the conditions at a state hospital for the criminally insane. His extensive filmography analyzes various facets of society, with works such as *High School*, *Hospital*, *National Gallery*, and *City Hall*. His method involves filming hundreds of hours of footage and then constructing a complex narrative structure through a meticulous editing process, which he himself defines as "reality fiction." His fundamental contribution to cinema has been recognized with numerous awards, including an Honorary Academy Award in 2017 and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2014.