Modernism + Film Survey

Telos: The Fantastic World of Eugene Tssui (Documentary, 2014) – “TELOS” chronicles the unorthodox life and revolutionary work of Eugene Tssui, an eccentric visionary and a maverick architect. He questions traditional building standards and put nature and the environment at the forefront of his designs long before “green” and “eco-friendly” became buzzwords.

Renzo Piano (Documentary, 2006) – Renzo Piano, the world-renowned independent and non-conformist architect (b. 1937 in Genoa), owes his fame in part to the vast scope of his work. From the Pompidou Center in Paris to the recently inaugurated Centre Jean-Marie Tjibaou in New Caledonia, and from the De Menil Museum in Houston and the Kansai International Airport Terminal in Japan to the New York Times tower in Manhattan and the San Nicola Stadium in Italy, Renzo Piano constructions are found throughout the world.

The Edge Of The Possible (Documentary, 1998) – Jørn Utzon was awarded the first prize in an international architecture competition to design an Opera House for Sydney. In 1957 he flew to Australia to begin work on the construction of the greatest building Australia has ever seen and, indeed, one of the finest achievements of modern architecture. Utzon was forced from the project in 1966 and has never returned to Australia. What defeated him in the end was politics. This film charts the dramatic course of the creation of a masterpiece and includes a rare interview with Jørn Utzon as he reflects on his role in the compelling story of the conception and construction of the Sydney Opera House.

Volume Zero: The Work Of Charles Correa (Documentary 2008) – 'Volume Zero' is an hour-long video on the work and ideas of Charles Correa, one of world's most important architects. It deals with his childhood, architectural training, formative years, and the paradigms underlying his large and complex architectural oeuvre spanning over five decades, as well as his pivotal role in addressing issues of urbanization in the Developing World. It uses first person narration by the filmmaker, combined with extended excerpts of interview with Correa, live action, stills, diagrams, animation and archival footage to open up the thought process that generate architectural space and form.

Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery (Documentary, 2014) – For nearly 40 years, Wolfgang Beltracchi fooled the international art world and was responsible for the biggest art forgery scandal of the postwar era. An expert in art history, theory and painting techniques, he tracked down the gaps in the oeuvres of great artists - Max Ernst, Fernand Léger, Heinrich Campendonk, André Derain and Max Pechstein, above all - and filled them with his own works. He and his wife Helene would then introduce them to the art world as originals. What makes these forgeries truly one-of-a-kind is that they are never mere copies of once-existing paintings, but products of Beltracchi's imagination, works "in the style of" famous early 20th-century artists. With his forgeries, he fooled renowned experts, curators and art dealers. The auctioneers Sotheby's and Christie's were hoodwinked, just like Hollywood star Steve Martin and other collectors throughout the world.

William Krisel: Architect (Documentary, 2010) – Over the course of his sixty-year career, Architect William Krisel has brought modernism to the masses, designing more than 40,000 individual housing units across the U.S. Krisel’s influential work has become synonymous with mid-20th century Southern Californian design. The documentary explores his life and work, including his roots in 1930s China, his ground-breaking designs for modern living, and interviews with scholars, his contemporaries and family. “I’m a firm believer that good modern design can make your life happier, more productive and more enjoyable,” says Krisel. William Krisel, Architect is presented by Design Onscreen, a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to producing, preserving and promoting high-quality films on architecture and design.

The Absent House (Documentary, 2014) - When Puerto Rican architect Fernando Abruña Charneco began designing buildings in the 1970s, many called him as crazy for putting nature first... a practice which later would be heralded as "sustainable green architecture." For more than 30 years, he confronted climate change with sustainable constructions: including a house without a roof that is completely independent of the power and water utilities, a micro-eco-house on wheels, a pre-designed sustainable house, a parachute-house and a solar-electric car.

The Silence of Mark Rothko (Documentary, 2016) – In THE SILENCE OF MARK ROTHKO, we visit Rothko's studio at 22 Bowery in New York, and go to Florence's Museo di san Marco, where the monastic work of Renaissance painter Fra Angelico deeply influenced Rothko's mission to create environments and not just paintings. In The Hague, filmmaker Marjoleine Boonstra introduces us to curator Franz Kaiser of the Gemeentemuseum, as his team installs the works for the first major Rothko exhibit to be held in Holland in 40 years.

Kochuu (Documentary, 2006) – KOCHUU is a visually stunning film about modern Japanese architecture, its roots in the Japanese tradition, and its impact on the Nordic building tradition. Winding its way through visions of the future and traditional concepts, nature and concrete, gardens and high-tech spaces, the film explains how contemporary Japanese architects strive to unite the ways of modern man with the old philosophies in astounding constructions.

Precise Poetry: Lina Bo Bardi's Architecture (Documentary, 2014, Portuguese with English Subtitles) – A film about famous Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi, who created poetry through architectural precision. Told in a series of interviews in Portuguese with English subtitles on the eve of her 100th birthday, Bo Bardi's colleagues and friends recount the sociopolitical constraints and personal events that would lead to the timelessness of her work. This cinematic journey through her most important architectural projects in São Paulo and Salvador da Bahia poses the question of what remains of a person in the work they leave behind.

Away From All Suns (Documentary, 2013) – In the back alleys of Moscow, forgotten treasures lurk: Utopian buildings, built in the 1920s in the spirit of Russian constructivism. Ruins of another future, reflecting the hopes and aberrations of modernity. Aren’t the buildings calling out to us? The film follows three Muscovites who are struggling with the buildings’ heritage. One citizen fights for the preservation of her own house and the old printing factory next door – the only preserved building by El Lissitzky. Donatas wants to live with his friends in a artist community. Vsevolod wants to preserve an architectural monument yet has to rebuild it. “Everyone who has been inside this house, is infected”, says Vsevolod. What do these buildings hold for us? What will be wiped out, once the last ones fall prey to decay or into the hands of real estate-investors? The filmmaker works with passages of manifestos by Rodchenko, El Lissitzky and Vesnin, as well as rare documentary footage from early Soviet film, among others by Dziga Vertov. A journey through time to the revolutionary 1920s and a portrait of Russian society today.

Journeyman Architect: The Life and Work of Donald Wexler (Documentary, 2009) – During the 1950s and 60s, Donald Wexler pioneered commercial and residential construction using steel and prefabrication. He applied his groundbreaking techniques and unique style to projects for clients such as Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, the Alexander Construction Company and Walt Disney World Resort. Wexler’s designs for public buildings in the Coachella Valley of California, including the dramatic Palm Springs Airport, served as both soaring and practical models for other municipalities to emulate. Today Donald Wexler’s work is garnering new appreciation worldwide and providing inspirationfor a new generation of architects.

The World of Buckminster Fuller (Documentary, 1974) - Called the Japanese Master of Minimalism and the Father of Haiku Architecture, Tadao Ando is one of the most revered architects working today. The film interviews, accompanies, and observes the Pritzker laureate at work to understand the sources, inspiration, and motivation driving him and his world-famous minimalist buildings.

Modernism + Film

2016-2017

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* 1. Which of the following films would you be most interested in viewing? Please select your top eight choices from the 13 titles below.

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* 2. In the space below, provide the names of additional films you would like to see the Bechtler screen during its Modernism + Film program.