International Architecture Film Night

The EXPANDED ARCHITECTURE film night at Performance Space, Carriageworks Sydney 6th November 2010 tackled the question “What is Architectural film?”

The curators of the festival, Sarah Breen Lovett and Lee Stickells identified a group of local and international artists, architects and students whose work proposed a different relationship to what is Architectural film.General themes of the films ranged from a graphic and material fascination with architecture and the city to narratives associated with architectural space to the exploration of architectural phenomenology.

On the whole it was an interesting range of works that flowed together quite seamlessly. Like all film festivals, the themes of some works seemed less relevant than others, or perhaps just a little obvious. However, on the whole it was a good range.

I was unable to stay for the panel discussion after the films however the Expanded Architecture website reports “the discussion highlighted the differences in opinion of what constitutes an 'architectural' film. The varying opinions included films which: Represent architecture, have a narrative associated with architecture, convey journeys through architectural space and urban fabric, investigate the materiality of our spatial environment, investigate architectural phenomenology , multi-channel, expanded cinema and installation films which enable the viewer to be embedded in the filmic experience rather than a viewer of it.” 

A few standout films of the night were:
“SURFACE: A film from underneath” by TU+ (Bangkok/New York)
This short film is “an experimental film, exploring the emotional journey from an underground urban perspective.” The whole film is viewed from under the surface of the street (the street in this context being a translucent 'prop' platform).What made this film so engaging was its powerful graphic quality, cleverly synchronized with a rhythmically engaging soundtrack of urban samples and beats. By altering the viewer’s perspective of the city, the dramatic quality of the streetscape and its inhabitants was increased. Human interactions and their connection with city and surface were emphasized, making for a powerful and evocative piece. Check it out - http://www.surfacefilm.com/ . This is definitely worth a viewing. Its message is expressed with a fluidity and levity often absent from this genre.

Eduardo Kairuz (Venezuela/Sydney) featured an interesting single channel video projection called “Supermáquina” (rasgadura central/esquizofrenia) (2006). The abstraction of the subject (a journey through the suburbs/city?) made for a visually interesting way to digest what would typically be a mundane subject. This technique revealed patterns and rhythms to the urban fabric that might only be revealed through filmic space.

For any current, or ex-Architecture students who've suffered an obsession with photographing/filming car parks (...and I know you're out there) see Sommertagsraum by Sabine Pils (Austria). Yes, this theme has been done before, but this example is better than most. It's graphically engaging, well edited and concise.

Worth a mention is RedCat gala video by Citrusink. This piece was featured in the foyer of the film festival before the main features. The film was was projected against one of the off-form concrete walls of the Performance Space. The combination of animated graphics against the textures of the building was a brilliant way to view the work. This form of installation was a great addition to the festival.