Aspen

In ASPEN, Frederick Wiseman continued the exploration of different places that he had begun in 1976 with CANAL ZONE. While that was filmed against the backdrop of the US Bicentennial celebrations, ASPEN (filmed in the winter of 1990) is about the US after eight years of Ronald Reagan, and the impending 1990s. Wiseman's "State of the Union address" (Ben Sachs) does not bode well: ASPEN juxtaposes the low-paid workers of the city, most of whom can no longer afford their rent, with its rich visitors. The ever-widening gap between rich and poor, which Wiseman repeatedly addresses in his films, is illustrated here in all its clarity. (hb)