Essene

A meditative outlier in the early work of legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman, Essene (1972) closely observes both the esoteric and quotidian activities of a Benedictine monastery. Wiseman begins his film by situating the viewer within the community through a scene, primarily shot in close-ups, of the men discussing the dictates of their order. Soon, the conversation evolves, as the monks share self-reflections and muse on how to support each other and newcomers to their intentional community. The brothers’ distinct personalities emerge in the ways they reconcile the tension between the arcane, collectivist traditions of the religion and the modern influences of 1970s American individualism.

This is a thoughtfully drawn portrait of a way of life not often given view — tonally sensitive and fascinating, especially in the logical and emotionally intelligent self-assessment each monk seems to possess. Wiseman, so careful in his construction, reserves judgment — save for in the film’s final beat, in which we observe the abbot giving a sermon in which he beseechingly asks us to listen, listen for god with a posture of “controlled, quiet wisdom” in service of a wider community.

As author, activist, and priest Malcolm Boyd wrote of the film in The New York Times, “Wiseman conveys humility without resorting to humble expressions, an awareness of profound piety without mock spirituality… Essene raises the question of God urgently and eloquently.”

ROBYN CITIZEN

A presentation and restoration by Zipporah Films with the participation of the Library of Congress. New version restored in 4K from the 16mm image negative and original sound. Digitization and color grading carried out at DuArt and Goldcrest laboratories in New York. Digital restoration by Jane Tolmachyov, supervised by Frederick Wiseman and produced by Karen Konicek. Digitization of the complete works of Frederick Wiseman, which will be the subject of retrospectives around the world beginning in the fall of 2024.