Welfare
1975 · 2 h 47 min
Cast
Documentary
Credits
Cinematography: William Brayne
Editing: 
Frederick Wiseman
Produced by: Frederick Wiseman
Plot
A documentary on the American welfare system, seen from both officials' and claimants' viewpoints.
Sinekatalog’s take
Frederick Wiseman's documentary watches a New York welfare office through its long waits, impatient clerks and desperate claimants. Patient, unadorned and often painful, it is a classic study of bureaucracy and need.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Ratings
IMDb: 8.2 / 10 (871 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.
If you liked this
Picked by director, genre, era and shared cast. Titles only, no spoilers.
- National Gallery 2014 · Frederick Wiseman · IMDb 7.3 · Same director
- Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God 2012 · Alex Gibney · IMDb 8.0 · Viewers also liked
- Hospital 1970 · Frederick Wiseman · IMDb 7.9 · Same director
- Harlan County, USA 1976 · Barbara Kopple · IMDb 8.2 · Same movement
- Gates of Heaven 1978 · Errol Morris · IMDb 7.3 · Same movement
- Vernon, Florida 1981 · Errol Morris · IMDb 7.0 · Same movement