Near Death

Near Death, directed by Frederick Wiseman, is almost six hours long. That is long, but not too long -- as the Dutch journalist Frank van Dixhoorn puts it, "It seems as if his work has a natural length that is determined by the subject, not by the director." In total, Wiseman filmed for six weeks in a row in the Intensive Care Unit of Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. The documentary focuses on the problem of how people look at death. For that purpose, Wiseman shows us the complex relationships between patients, families, doctors, nurses, and ministers, while they are making decisions about life and death. The camera observes and records without any music, comment, or interviews. Instead, the sounds that Wiseman uses are those of the daily routine in the hospital. As a result, Near Death is a penetrating film about a subject that is increasingly kept outside the field of vision of healthy people. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)