Archi shorts: Ode to Brutalism
Archi shorts: Ode to Brutalism
*Screening of short films within the festival *Film and Architecture 2023.** Concrete Forms of Resistance / Nick Jordan / Great Britain 2019 / 27 min. / in English, Arabic, Portuguese and with English substitles – A documentary following the sad fate of the abandoned International Fair in Tripoli, the unfinished project of world-famous modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer. The vast exhibition complex, including international pavilions, theatres, museums, a park, and social housing, was intended to be an ambitious solution to a number of political problems in the city and the country. The Fair's iconic buildings, used as a base for the occupying Syrian army after the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war, were placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in January this year. Ode to Concrete / Andrea Colzani / Italy 2019 / 3 min. / without dialogues – Italy's Ode to Concrete pays tribute to the diverse uses of this popular material in architecture. The magic of texture and elegance of forms surrounded by sunlight and blue skies. The personal audiovisual project is very close to a music video: footage of raw architecture, briskly edited to the rhythm of the beats of catchy electronic music. Instead of human figures, the main characters are the buildings themselves. The Resort / Mateusz Bielesz / Poland 2022 / 6 min. / in Polish, English subs – What looks like an ugly design to some is an iconic piece of Polish architecture to others. The Jaszowiecz district was designed by the renowned architects Winnicki brothers and Mr. and Mrs. Kotel. It is a large-scale recreational complex for which it is particularly important to ask where its value lies. Trying to save everything may end up protecting nothing. TXL – Berlin Tegel Airport / Lukas Schmid, Marek Iwicki / Germany 2022 / 14 min / in German, English substitles – “Every building should have a clear face that reflects its character. If it doesn't have a distinctive face, it's not a good building.” A film portrait of Berlin's legendary hexagon-shaped airport. The fascinating story of a building that emerged from a public architectural competition won by two aspiring architects. They succeeded in something unprecedented at the time, creating a concept that was not outdated when it was completed, but instead inspired others.
