RANKING OF THE BEST ARCHITECTURE FILMS
Did you know that within the seventh art there is a category of architecture? Architecture is present in all films, but only some manage to transmit and evoke the very essence of the art. Some feature films are biographical and capture the lives of the world's best architects in a documentary format of varying length. Others recreate scenarios, monuments and architectural works of history through fictional stories starring architects.
Then you can include in your list the following best architecture films that we propose from Lobo studio. Among the best we can find from the Japanese film about the Spanish Antonio Gaudi to the acclaimed The Belly of an Architect by British director Peter Greenaway.
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998) / Ken Burns, Lynn Novick / United States
More than a film, it is a profile drawn on the best American architect in history. A documentary through his personal life that focuses mainly on Lloyd Wright's life circumstances and how all that influenced his architectural style.
Antonio Gaudí (1984) / Hiroshi Teshigahara / Japan
Japanese production but 100% Spanish content. The life and work of Antonio Gaudí has always been the subject of study and this documentary is a clear example of the importance of the Catalan's architecture. Filled with spectacular zenithal shots of Gaudí's buildings, it covers the city of Barcelona with special emphasis on the architect's most ambitious unfinished project: the Sagrada Familia.
The Architect and The Painter (2011) / Jason Cohn, Bill Jersey /United States
The perfect marriage of Charles and Ray Eames, teacher and pupil, was an architectural revolution in American furniture in the 1950s. Theirs is the successful development of modernism in unconventional furniture at mid-century. The film is narrated by actor James Franco and delves into the personal lives of the geniuses, especially Ray's difficulties as a woman of that era. A safe bet in our ranking of best architecture films.
Visual Acoustics (2009) / Eric Bricker/ United States
It has been more than 12 years since 'Visual Acoustics' and the voice of Dustin Hoffman recounted the life of Julius Shulman, one of the world's greatest architectural photographers. Shulman was responsible for photographing the work of Frank Lloyd, John Lautner and Frank Ghery, among others.
Oscar Niemeyer - A Vida É Um Sopro (2010) / Fabiano Maciel / Brazil
Two years before his death, the Brazilian architect wanted to capture his work in a large 90-minute documentary in which he presents his geometric and linear explorations. He also refers to the use of reinforced concrete as the main element of modern architecture.
Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio (2010) / Sam Wainwright Douglas / United States
Mockbee's life revolved around his social responsibility as an architectural genius. That's why he created the Auburn University Rural Studio program in one of the poorest states in the United States, Alabama. He provided safe homes for western communities under the motto "everyone deserves a shelter for the soul."
The World of Buckminster Fuller (1974) / / United States Robert Snyder / United States
Biographical film about the American architect and designer. Director Snyder has already won an Oscar with another documentary on the life of Michelangelo. However, this work about Fuller is characterized by the freedom of the narration based on the architect's own words. It is not only a film about the American's architecture and style, but also a journey through his personal experiences.
The architect (2006) / Matt Tauber / United States
It is one of the few films in our ranking of best architecture films that are not based on a real architect. The story is a reflection on the responsibility that architects have when creating and how this influences the urban and cultural environment of the area. In this case the work is about a promising architect who sees how his housing complex project deteriorates with the passage of time and ends up becoming a space for crime.
The Belly of an Architect (1987) / Peter Greenaway / United Kingdom
There is no doubt that the imperial Rome of the classical world is an architectural reference in the world. Greenaway knew it and in 1987 he made this production to pay tribute to the great Roman monuments. The aesthetic shots taken from the air are impressive, reflecting the splendor of another era.
Archiculture (2011) / Ian Harris y David Krantz y Arbuckle Industries, United States
It is a small documentary of only 25 minutes but essential in this ranking of best architecture films. The two directors as well as filmmakers are also architects and wanted to reflect the different challenges faced by architecture students in the race to success. Specifically in 'Archiculture' the protagonists are 5 young people who are preparing their final work in a high school in the city of Brooklyn.
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