Feb 17 (V7N) - Renowned US documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman died peacefully at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Monday at the age of 96, his production company confirmed.

According to a statement from Zipporah Films, the Oscar-winning filmmaker passed away at his residence, marking the end of a groundbreaking career that spanned more than five decades.

Widely regarded as a pioneer of independent American cinema, Wiseman became known for his observational documentaries that explored major institutions and everyday life without narration or interviews. His films offered rare and intimate insights into places such as schools, hospitals, welfare offices, libraries and training camps.

He first gained global attention and controversy with his 1967 documentary “Titicut Follies,” which exposed harsh conditions inside a mental institution in Bridgewater. The film faced legal challenges and attempts to ban its release, but Wiseman continued his work with unwavering determination.

Before turning to filmmaking, Wiseman studied and practiced law, later shifting to cinema where he developed a unique style using small crews and extensive raw footage. He often filmed more than a hundred hours for a single project and spent months editing to craft his distinctive long-form documentaries.

Over the decades, he produced dozens of acclaimed films, including “Welfare” and “City Hall,” capturing the complexities of social systems and human behaviour with an unobtrusive lens. In 2016, he received an honorary Academy Award in recognition of his lifetime contribution to documentary filmmaking.

Even in his later years, Wiseman remained creatively active, describing his list of potential subjects as “never-ending” and continuing to make films into his nineties.

He was married for over 65 years to Zipporah Batshaw, after whom his production company was named, and is survived by their two sons.

END/AJ/RH