National Gallery

Frederick Wiseman's 2014 documentary records the workings of the National Gallery in London. There is no narrator, no music and no one is asked a question; the camera only watches what happens in the rooms. Restorers argue while dissolving the varnish on a surface, guides describe paintings to visitors, management discusses sponsorship and visitor numbers in a budget meeting, wood is worked in the framing shop. By setting these passages side by side Wiseman shows how an institution stays standing, and the tension between art and money becomes visible without being explained. The paintings themselves are shown at length and the film leaves the viewer alone with a work from time to time. It runs close to three hours. Who it's for: viewers who like observational documentary and art history. Who it's not for: anyone expecting a guided account; the film explains nothing.