This remarkable, clear-sighted film reveals the absurdities of New York’s welfare system from the point of view of the staff administering it and the claimants attempting to access it.

Deeply serious yet playful in parts, Welfare reveals the myriad reasons why people seek help and the complex tangle of regulations that frequently deny it.

With a groundbreaking career spanning seven decades, Frederick Wiseman is one of the great American storytellers. Cinema Expanded - The Films of Frederick Wiseman is a comprehensive season of the documentarian’s work, taking place throughout 2026.