Titicut Follies

This film's title comes from the musical talent show of the institution it documents – the State Hospital for the Criminally Insane at Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Over the course of a month, Frederick Wiseman follows the daily lives of the prisoners-patients, while the staff treats them mainly with disregard and ridicule.

Titicut Follies, Wiseman's debut, is one of the most acclaimed documentaries in history and also one of the most controversial ones. It was initially banned in Massachusetts, but in 1969 the Supreme Court allowed its screening to specific audiences. It was only in 1991 that the Supreme Court determined that the film may be shown to the general public. This documentary milestone will be screened in a 35mm copy restored by the Library of Congress.