Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman released the new trailer for his latest film, the documentary City Hall that looks at Boston’s city government, covering racial justice, housing, climate action, and more. The film, as with all Wiseman’s films, is long, clocking in at over 4 and 1/2 hours. City Hall had its world premiere at Venice Film Festival, followed by North American Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, then US Premiere at New York Film Festival; and will be released in November, 2020.
City government touches almost every aspect of our lives. Most of us are unaware of or take for granted these necessary services such as police, fire, sanitation, veterans affairs, elder support, parks, licensing of various professional activities, record keeping of birth, marriage and death as wells as hundreds of other activities that support Boston residents and visitors. City Hall, by Frederick Wiseman, shows the efforts by Boston city government to provide these services. The film also illustrates the variety of ways the city administration enters into civil discourse with the citizens of Boston. Mayor Walsh and his administration are presented addressing a number of their policy priorities which include racial justice, affordable housing, climate action, and homeless. City Hall shows a city government successfully offering a wide variety of services to a diverse population.