Why we picked it – This is our relaxed meditative film for this year, which we always try to show in the run up to Christmas.

Synopsis – A meditation on stone and concrete, the key materials of our built environment. Hypnotic images of destruction in Ukraine, Roman ruins in Turkey, and current day construction sites. Meanwhile, Michele De Lucchi a radical Italian architect is building a stone circle in his garden. 

The film–  Victor Kossakovsky, the Russian born director has developed a very individual reflective style of film making. His previous two films are: Aquarela which shows snow and ice around the world with minimal dialogue, and Gunda which follows the daily life of sow and her piglets, two cows, and a one-legged chicken and has no dialogue. Here is is talking about Architecton and his filmmaking.

He has a thick accent do press the “cc” button at the bottom right for subtitles. Yu may be left with more questions than answers.

Director and Writer: Victor Kossakovsky, Cinematography: Ben Bernhard Italy 2024

Links imdb American Institute of Architecture Students review Guardian review