Countless documentaries have been made about architects. Some stand out for their excellent shots of architecture, others tell previously unknown human stories. They inspire and delight, or perhaps they just strip us of our illusions and perceptions of the Great Creators.
We suggest which ones are available online, (as of recently completely free) and which ones are worth watching.
Great Architecture
BIG lived to see a film about itself very quickly. Already in 2017 there was a film directed by Kaspar Astrup Schröder. The 40-year-old Ingels, head of the Bjarke Ingels Group architectural firm, treats architecture as a pragmatic utopian art that aims to create perfect places from a social, economic and ecological point of view. Shot over a period of six years, the film follows the famous Dane as he works on his two major projects: the new World Trade Center buildings and the Manhattan skyscraper W57.
After leaving for New York, his Danish company runs into trouble, and the architect himself has health problems. We observe Ingels' incredibly busy daily life, traveling to new construction plans, negotiating with disgruntled Danish workers, and talking to doctors. It becomes clear that his great success also comes at a high price. The architect explains how his ideas and designs come about, and provides philosophical and architectural reflections on what architecture is all about. - says the architect.
The film is available online, free of charge at Ninateka. Link to the film: HERE.
Sketches by Frank Gehry
The film depicts Frank Gehry's creative process, from sketching, to creating physical and 3D models, to the construction itself. Over the course of five years, Sydney Pollack filmed Frank Gehry at work on various projects, including the Guggenheim Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall, DG Bank in Berlin, Banque DG in Berlin, Vitra Design Museu in Germany, and Loyola University Law School in Los Angeles. Through the eye of the camera, the director examines the process by which an American architect transforms abstract sketches and three-dimensional models, usually made from scraps of cardboard and duct tape, into monumental buildings constructed of titanium and glass, concrete and steel, wood and stone. The documentary does not deal with architectural theory, but gives viewers a point of view of the artist's life and his unique style of work.
Although the film dates from 2005, the narrative method the director has taken is very contemporary. The film is available for free in its original language version on YouTube, provided by the official profile of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Link to the video: HERE.
Philip Johnson: Diary of eccentric Architect
Philip Johnson was always at the forefront of stylistic change, and his estate in New Canaan, Connecticut, was a kind of laboratory where he himself was his most elaborate tester of his creations. It was there that he built the famous "Glass House" where he lived for many years.
My latest craze is to build buildings without straight lines.... This is the first time I've had a building that I can't draw and have to partially design as it goes up.
The film shows Johnson at work, and talks about the importance of architecture and the architect's need to create. The director follows the creator, with images and statements preserved on film, explaining to viewers the thinking behind the construction and the way buildings interact with their surroundings.
The film is available on foreign VOD services, including Vimeo, HERE.
Frank Lloyd Wright: Man Who Built America
Frank Lloyd Wright. The greatest architect in American history. That's what we'll certainly read in architectural history textbooks. But there are many important facts that influenced his career that we won't find in books. Few people know about his Welsh roots, which in a way shaped his life. Contemporary Welsh architect Jonathan Adams embarks on a journey across America to explore the works of Frank Lloyd Wright with his camera and director in tow. Along the way he discovers the tumultuous life story of the man, a famous architect, and the less famous secrets of his radical Welsh past.
The film is available free on vod.co.uk, link:HERE.
