Experience architecture, live architecture, understand architecture – in the cinema. Visitors to the 52nd International Film Festival Wuerzburg have this opportunity with a special series created by renowned cultural journalist and author Moritz Holfelder, which is being presented in Wuerzburg for the first time. This year, the festival is addressing the question at just the right time: How do we want to live and reside?
“Architecture is exterior space. Architecture is interior space. Architecture is consciously designed space,” says Moritz Holfelder. “Architecture is genius, but also teamwork. And last but not least, the construction industry is one of the biggest climate killers worldwide.” All these aspects are addressed in the six films that Holfelder has selected together with the program group of the International Film Festival.
Take, for example, the sustainability aspects of construction and housing: around 40 percent of CO2 emissions are generated by the production of energy-intensive materials such as cement, but also by the operation of buildings. In recent years, the industry has undergone an intensive rethink. Solutions lie in the circular economy, the reuse of materials, and the development of new building materials. In addition, many architects are calling for simpler construction than before and for an end to expensive and energy-intensive new buildings, instead using what we already have. Building in existing structures is considered the supreme discipline of the future.
In “We Start with the Things We Find”, a Neapolitan duo transforms discarded shipping containers into fascinating, high-quality living spaces. Another film addresses the question: What kind of architecture do we want? “Beyond Eternity” ventures an exploration of architecture in the context of climate change, resource scarcity, circular strategies, real estate speculation, and refugee crises.
What would buildings tell us if they could talk (“Cathedrals of Culture”)? One thing is clear: the built environment shapes us. In “Columbus”, a woman and a man walk through a city and let architecture inspire their conversations about their lives. And “The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of” shows that buildings are a reflection of our lifestyles and societies. What opportunities does self-managed living offer in this context?
Holfelder’s feature “Peter Zumthor: The Magic of the Real”, which won the German Audiobook Prize, will also be performed. The Swiss architect is presented in connection with his most famous buildings. This is acoustic cinema at its best. A specially produced soundtrack will be “shown” as a special screening, accompanied by photos of Zumthor’s buildings on the screen – a very special experience as part of the International
Film Festival.
Moritz Holfelder will be a guest at the 52nd International Film Festival Wuerzburg and will accompany the film screenings to talk to the audience about their impressions and answer their questions.
