Welfare

A young First Nations man in Manhattan’s Waverly Centre plaintively exclaims, “I’m a human being!”, setting the tone and focus right out of the blocks in Wiseman’s observational, narration-free documentary. It’s a wrenching plea for dignity that echoes throughout, as a succession of weary citizens navigate a labyrinth of departments and bureaucratic processes in order to qualify for social security, food stamps and pensions. Harried caseworkers and supervisors mostly exercise latitude where they can, with a striking exception or two. The disarming candour and directness of the protagonists shines through the trying circumstances.

Complement your in-cinema viewing of It Takes Time: Ten Films by Frederick Wiseman with a Wiseman Masterclass, hosted for a limited time on ACMI’s online platform, Cinema 3.