I had the privilege of joining a member of the DIA’s educational department for the Detroit Film Theatre’s first screening of the documentary National Gallery by filmmaker Frederick Wiseman. Wiseman was in attendance for a discussion following the three-hour film, which details the inner workings of London’s National Gallery. As a gesture to the relevance of the documentary to the DIA, the staff was invited to see the film free of charge, as an exercise in development or simply identification.

National Gallery certainly is a treat for museum devotees and enthusiasts: the documentary is an exhaustive portrait of the institution—fitting for a place that is itself a bastion of epic portraiture. But unlike the paintings on display at the National—as observed by one of the several dynamic docents that take visitors and viewers through detailed readings of pieces in the collection—film is a portrait with the luxury of unfolding a narrative over time, while the astounding skill of painting as a medium is the ability to crystallize storytelling into a single image.

The film released nationwide on January 11, 2015.

For someone with an affinity for museums, the film has a lot to offer: the ability to reflect on the details of paintings blown up to the DFT’s large screen, wonderful behind-the-scenes peeks into the meticulous world of conservation and restoration, and—one of my personal favorites—the ability to observe people interacting and observing art in the gallery settings. The National Gallery has some interesting programs designed to engage new cohorts of art appreciators, including a workshop with the visually impaired, and a figure-drawing series; it was fascinating to see some of the progressive tactics they’ve developed to reach a wider audience. But there are the moments that my companion assures me ring very true for a museum employee, such as board meetings devoted to debate about appropriate outreach strategies.

The DFT will be screening National Gallery eight more times through the coming weekend, and this acclaimed documentary is not to be missed for any museum-philes out there.

Detroit Film Theatre: 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7887; www.dia.org/detroitfilmtheatre/14/DFT.aspx