“Wiseman observes narrow-mindedness, chauvinism, and blind faith in authority nearly everywhere he goes.”
—The Chicago Reader

“It is precisely this kind of serendipity, this kind of risk‐taking, that marks Fred Wiseman as unique in his field.”
—The New York Times

“In the sunny landscape of a distant Army enclave in Panama, Wiseman finds a nightmare vision of America itself … By the time CANAL ZONE reaches its Memorial Day climax … it becomes as bitter as Sinclair Lewis’ Main Street … an ingenious cautionary tale.”
—Time Magazine

Frederick Wiseman turns his camera onto the unique workings of the Panama Canal Zone, a place where the main occupation of its residents is facilitating the use of the waterway. Newly restored.