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IDFA 2014

National Gallery

Frederick Wiseman
United States, France
2014
180 min
Dutch Premiere
Festival history
More than anything else, is a crash course in art appreciation. With the camera getting up closer to the paintings than any visitor would, Wiseman guides us along the brush strokes of the great masters: Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Velázquez, Holbein and Da Vinci. Between learning about light, symbolism, history and restoration, we meet staff members at this world-class museum in London and get a glimpse behind the scenes. The camera observes the setting up and breaking down of exhibits, the fervent oratory of the museum guides, the budget struggles and the difficult but necessary discussions about the marriage between public and art. “We are a number of things. We’re conservation, research, preservation, heritage, and the education of it,” explains a staff member. “And we are a visitor attraction – and I know the word sounds horrid, but we are also that.” fits into Wiseman’s tradition of long, meticulous documentaries about distinguished institutions. His observational approach allows the artworks and the institution to speak powerfully for themselves. 
Credits
Distribution for the Netherlands
    Cinéart Nederland BV
    Cinéart Nederland BV
World Sales
    Doc & Film International
    Doc & Film International
Screening copy
    Cinéart Nederland BV
    Cinéart Nederland BV