FILM PREVIEW | DOCUMENTARY

“Libraries are not about books... libraries are about people.” By the time this sentence is spoken in Frederick Wiseman’s awardwinning documentary Ex Libris: The New York Public Library, it’s clear that both director Wiseman and his subject have one thing in common: an inspirational sense of idealism. Wiseman explores every corner of the library, from book stacks to classrooms and archives. He talks to writers and artists who use the library’s resources, and he shows the library’s work with the underprivileged, keeping viewers on their toes with frequent changes of scene and tempo. With more than 40 films under his belt, Wiseman could make a plain white sheet of paper look interesting. Add words and readers, and you’ve got a masterpiece. Starts 24 October.