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December 1, 2020
The response to this year’s festival has been great, and we wanted to share some audience feedback to the films. There are just a few days left to watch these amazing films, so we thought these direct quotes might help in choosing which ones to see.
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A Machine To Live In
2019 / 87 mins / USA and Brazil
Directors: Yoni Goldstein and Meredith Zielke
Language: Portuguese with English subtitles
"Brilliant, inspiring, mesmerizing, with a unique philosophical approach to urbanism and architecture."“Wonderful integration of architecture, poetry, occult, music, technology, sociology and cinematography.”
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Aalto
2020 / 90 mins / Finland
Director: Virpi Suutari
North American Premiere
Language: Finnish with English subtitles
“I loved the frank insight into Aino and Alvar Aalto's lives as well as getting to understand their work more deeply. The furniture part was so interesting. And I really liked the Frank Gehry intro.”
“I have been an Aalto fan for decades, but certainly learned much about the man, and Aino, that I never knew. The film also made his works look fresh again. Loved it.”
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“I loved this film! I had very little idea of her impact on design icons and aesthetic sensibilities. I have a new design hero!”
“I fell in love with Charlotte Perriand's sparkle, humor, and joie de vivre. I was not familiar with Les Arcs and was fascinated by the buildings' designs.”
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Escher: Journey Into Infinity
2018 / 90 mins / Netherlands
Director: Robin Lutz
Language: English
* Note: This program is only available in the US.
“An extraordinary pairing of the art, the life and the writings of a unique man. Visually creative film of the artist’s vision set in motion.”
"An excellent job visually displaying Escher's complex and beautiful work - especially the Alhambra influence."
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“This was not an option we picked as part of our fistful, but so enjoyed Part 1 that we bought an extra ticket. Very well-done and enjoyable. I didn't know much about Frey before; I do now.”
“Loved the human being as much as the architect!”
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George Nakashima, Woodworker
2020 / 115 mins / USA
Director: John Nakashima
Language: English
What an interesting film this was! To follow with his journey from early in Nakashima's life and see how he changed and grew along the way was fascinating. To start in one place and philosophy and then change crafts was so different than other architects.”
“Fascinating to compare Aalto, Perriand and Nakashima in their relationships to the art/meaning of life, Bauhaus, the Depression, WWII, and materials. Really wonderful”
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Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story
2019 / 56 mins / USA
Directors: Royal Kennedy Rodgers, Kathy McCampbell Vance
Language: English
“Exceptional film about an often overlooked architect. Please seek more films from minority architects and designers.”
“Really loved this! What a life!! Why did it take so long for this to be made? The story of fortitude and conviction is extremely inspiring.”
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“It was well developed with an overall theme of social injustice. You could feel the director’s experience in filmmaking in the well crafting of Ray Moriyama’s story. It is a film for the times with a celebration of a beautiful human story.”
“One can't help but relate and compare the Nakashima and Moriyama films as each architect had long, varied and prolific careers rooted in the Japanese American/Canadian internment experience. What a challenge to sift and unpack so much material into a viewable film!”
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Making a Mountain
2020 / 55 mins / Denmark
Directors: Rikke Selin Fokdal and Kaspar Astrup Schröder
North American Premiere
Language: English and Danish with English subtitles
“This movie was amazing, the subject, the music, everything. I personally have never liked Bjarke and his personality, but this film changed my opinion of him and I appreciate having this insight. Also the Q&A was amazing.”
“Watched it twice. Shows how important a good client is to getting good architecture built. Once this pandemic is over, I’m going to CopenHill to ski!”
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“I loved this film! I had never heard of this architect, but love his designs/buildings. His character and the way he lives his life is amazing. So inspiring. Really felt like I got to know him by seeing his home, not just what he built for others. Excellent work!”
“I was unfamiliar with Leplastier's architecture and was fascinated. Now, I'm interested in going to Sydney! “
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Saving North
2020 / 77 mins / USA
Director: J. Mitchell Johnson
North American Premiere
Language: English
“This was the best of the films I have seen at the festival. It weaves together a handful of stories about the Russian North, relying not on any one individual, but on a core of dedicated artisans and artists seeking to preserve a very distant building style."
“This film was poetic and beautiful.”
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The Arch.
2020 / 103 mins / Italy
Director: Alessandra Stefani
North American Premiere
Language: English and Italian with English subtitles
“Pictures are so cinematic: some ideas might be common principles to architects, but they're good to be known to the general public, different countries, different projects, different points of views. Q&A was super at the end.”
"Initially I was skeptical because of the use of the "archetypal" design afficiando (with his tuxedo and glasses), the Narrator from Above and the very commercial photographic/film techniques but as the journey proceeded, the interviews became more thoughtful and beautifully optimistic. I didn't "recognize" any of the architects interviewed (no usual suspects!) nor their work which seemed very anonymous and corporate, but actually, it was refreshing to hear them talk passionately."
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The Whole World
2020 / 78 min / Argentina
Director: Sebastian Martinez
North American Premiere
Language: Spanish English subtitles
“I had no idea about Pira! Fascinating.”
“I found the the whole premise of the film fascinating: the person, his life, the architecture, the alchemy,”
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“This film should be required watching in every development class as well as architecture schools. The documentation of the quirky Honest Ed and the artists who lived and worked nearby was great. What a shame that 10% affordable was all they originally got. And I’d like to have seen the $200 million from Toronto go to better housing and not to bail out a developer. Good movie. Should get an award.”
"Human story about the evolution of a neighbourhood, lots of emotions and good spirit."
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Tokyo Ride
2020 / 90 mins / France and Japan
Directors: Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine
North American Premiere
Language: English
“I loved this film! One of the best I've seen that are architecture focused. I loved Ryue Nishizawa's way of expressing himself and it helped me understand "ocean" architecture on another level.”
"This was a great film. It transcended the documentary format and became a work of art. A thoroughly enjoyable ride, even if I don't care about cars the way many people do."
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