Like Jason Bourne, this summer’s blockbusters seem to have suffered from a case of cinematic amnesia. Filmmakers resurrected Ghostbusters and The Jungle Book while moviegoers endured a second dose of Independence Day and an impressive fifth helping of Mr. Bourne. Thankfully, New York’s Architecture & Design Film Festival this month promises to screen some original—and architectural—flicks. The annual showcase, now in its eighth edition, will feature a lineup of more than 30 feature-length and short films, all focused on architecture and design.
The festival will kick off with the world premiere of Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future. Directed and produced by Peter Rosen, the film explores the life and work of the Finnish American architect through stunning cinematography (by Saarinen’s own son, Eric) and interviews with a host of experts.
Other selections are more offbeat. The Happy Film—a Tribeca Film Festival favorite—follows designer Stefan Sagmeister (at times prancing through New York in a pink bunny suit) and his existential quest to achieve happiness. Another film, called Where Architects Live and based on an exhibition at the 2014 Salone del Mobile of the same name, ushers viewers into the inner sanctums of Shigeru Ban, Daniel Libeskind, the late Zaha Hadid, and more. Who isn’t itching to see where David Chipperfield sleeps?
The Architectural & Design Film Festival will take place from September 28–October 2 at the Cinépolis Chelsea in New York.
