In a career spanning more than 50 years, veteran filmmaker Frederick Wiseman has pioneered the fly-on-the-wall style of documentary. With no voiceover narration or intrusions by an interviewer, his films merely pull the viewer into the world he’s visiting. What we observe during the two-plus hours of his latest film, “Monrovia, Indiana,” is a rural Midwest town struggling to stay vital in the 21st century. The issues brought before the town council (allowing developers to build 151 new homes, stressing the county’s existing infrastructure; tiffs over zoning regulations and municipal water use) reveal the allegiances that some residents have to the town’s agrarian, small town traditions, against those arguing for progress that promises a bigger tax base but which may bring crime and other stressors with it.
You walk away from “Monrovia, Indiana” as a tourist with a little keener understanding of the work and effort that goes into making a small town tick, and you find (like watching a Wiseman film) patience has its rewards. Review by David Morgan, CBS News, October 26, 2018
This event is brought to you by the Center for Rural Engagement, in partnership with IU Cinema and Brown County Playhouse. Admission is free, limited tickets will be available at the door, first come, first serve.