Wisemania Film Series: Aspen

Aspen (Frederick Wiseman, 1991, 16mm, 146 mins)

A tale of two cities, Aspen explores both the jet-setters’ glamorous playground and the working-class community that keeps it operating. Wiseman’s 25th documentary gives us a gimlet-eyed look at an economic divide that would only deepen in the decades to come, and peppers it with John Denver, a cosmetic surgery seminar, garish displays of bad taste, and some of the most gorgeous scenery on earth. “A study in contrasts, some of them touching, some of them absurd” (Tom Shales). 16mm print from the Yale Film Archive.

“Wisemania” is a multi-year exploration of the works of documentarian Frederick Wiseman.