Frederick Wiseman Suggests Retirement: “I Lack the Energy”

      Frederick Wiseman is turning 95 years old on New Year’s Day, and his body of work is often considered among the most significant in film history. When viewed as a whole, it encompasses every facet of human behavior in both work and life. In a recent crucial restoration effort, he has remastered most of his films, which are currently touring the country and showing at NYC's Film at Lincoln Center until March 5. As part of the retrospective titled Frederick Wiseman: An American Institution, the director has indicated that Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros, his four-hour masterpiece from 2023 focusing on the operations of three restaurants in central France, may be his final project.

      In an interview with IndieWire, when asked if he is working on another project, he replied, “No, for the last year I’ve been sick on and off, and at the moment I don’t have the energy. Creating one of these films demands a tremendous amount of energy during both the shooting and editing phases, and I simply don’t have it. I also have to come to terms with the fact that I’m 95. I’ve always had a lot of energy; however, in the last couple of years since finishing Menus-Plaisirs, my energy levels have decreased, and I’m dealing with a couple of illnesses that contribute to that fatigue.”

      While it’s impressive to see how active Wiseman has remained into his nineties, his retirement does seem to be approaching. Fortunately, we still have many decades' worth of his remarkable documentaries, now newly restored, to explore and revisit.

      For more insights from Wiseman, you can read our 2023 interview with him and watch the trailer for Frederick Wiseman: An American Institution below.