Deschutes Public Library

Belfast, Maine

eng

videorecording

Belfast, Maine

1035140794

Originally produced by Frederick Wiseman (Zipporah) in 1999

248

BELFAST, MAINE is a film about ordinary experience in a beautiful old New England port city. It is a portrait of daily life with particular emphasis on the work and the cultural life of the community.. Among the activities shown in the film are the work of lobstermen, tug-boat operators, factory workers, shop owners, city counselors, doctors, judges, policemen, teachers, social workers, nurses and ministers. Cultural activities include choir rehearsal, dance class, music lessons and theatre production.. "If Wiseman were a painter, heђ́ةd be a pointillist. He groups tiny daubs of color together, working meticulously across a wide canvas. It́ђةs only when you stand back that you see a massive mural taking shape ђ́و a mural that tells the story of a town, a society, a whole species." ђ́ا Matt Zoller Seitz, Newark Star Ledger. "BELFAST, MAINEђ́Œconveys a deeply emotional sense of place, season and time of day. In contrasting the breathtaking landscape with the troubled lives of many of those living there, it reminds us that the fleeting beauties of the natural world ђ́و the simple pleasures available to all ђ́و are among lifeђ́ةs deepest consolation." ђ́ا Stephen Holden, The New York Times

live action