Frederick Wiseman, the prolific documentary filmmaker known for his detailed portrayals of everyday American institutions, died peacefully on Monday, Reuters reported. The announcement was made by Zipporah Films, the distribution company he founded. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.

Across a career spanning six decades, Wiseman directed about 50 films, exploring spaces ranging from schools, city halls, and courts to zoos, gyms, racetracks, parks, and cultural institutions such as ballet companies. His work examined not only the operations of these institutions but also the people who interact with them and the staff who keep them running.

Wiseman’s filmmaking style avoided narration or conventional interviews. Subjects were filmed without staged lighting, and music was only included if it naturally occurred within the scene. The filmmaker often captured hundreds of hours of footage—200 hours was not uncommon—which he or his editors distilled into feature-length documentaries.

His method produced immersive, unembellished portraits of institutional life, highlighting the rhythms, challenges, and human dimensions of familiar spaces across the United States.