In Jackson Heights

Story

There is scarcely a part of the USA where more ethnic minorities and nationalities live than Jackson Heights in New York borough of Queens. About half the inhabitants were born abroad. Migrants from almost every country on the planet share their everyday lives here. Some have green cards, others no papers at all. They belong to a new wave of immigrants that little by little are giving the USA a new face. The film dives deep into this vast multiplicity of cultures, religions and ways of life. It asks about integration and the desire for boundaries and observes with concern that it is this very colourfulness that is now attracting speculators and investors. In Jackson Heights is a fascinating portrait of a city and its inhabitants from the master of US documentaries Frederick Wiseman.

Director

FREDERICK WISEMAN (*1930) is seen as a pioneer of the purely observational Direct Cinema. For his comprehensive and influential life's work, including "Titicut Follies" (1967), "Primate" (1974), "La Danse" (2009) and "National Gallery" (2014), he was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2016. FILMFEST HAMBURG showed "In Jackson Heights" (2015), "Ex Libris" (2017) and "Monrovia, Indiana" (2018).