Titicut Follies Theatrical release poster Directed by Frederick Wiseman Produced by Frederick Wiseman Written by Frederick Wiseman Cinematography John Marshall Edited by Frederick Wiseman

Alyne Model Distributed by Zipporah Films, Inc. Release date October 3, 1967 ( ) (United States) Running time 84 minutes Country United States Language English

Titicut Follies is a 1967 American Direct Cinema documentary film directed by Frederick Wiseman and filmed by John Marshall. It deals with the patient-inmates of Bridgewater State Hospital for the criminally insane, a Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. In 1967 the film won awards in Germany and Italy. Later on, Wiseman made a number of such films examining social institutions (e.g. hospitals, police, schools, etc.) in the United States.

The title of the film is taken from a talent show puton by the staff of the hospital, which was named after the Wampanoag name for the nearby Taunton River.

Synopsis [ edit ]

Titicut Follies portrays the occupants of Bridgewater State Hospital, who are holed up in empty cells and infrequently bathed. It also depicts inmates/patients required to strip naked publicly, force feeding, and indifference and bullying by many of the hospital staff.

Production [ edit ]

Titicut Follies was the beginning of the documentary career of Fred Wiseman, a Boston-born lawyer turned filmmaker. He originally took his law classes from Boston University to the institution for educational purposes and had “wanted to do a film there.” He began calling the superintendent of the facility looking for permission to film a year prior to production. Wiseman had previously produced The Cool World,