Architectural Cinema Thursdays 2012
The KZN Institute for Architecture presents a series of cinematic delights of an architectural theme.
Architectural Cinema Thursdays will feature a selection of films and documentaries from around the world, bringing to life issues, people and possibilities that are shaping our built environment. Based on the popular KZNSA Cinema Thursdays concept, the films will be screened outdoors on the lawn of the KZNSA Gallery every Thursday evening for a series of six weeks. Bring a picnic and a blanket.
Thursday 28th June film screenings.
6.30pm
SHORT FILM
Litshe le Golide, 2011, 5 mins
Director: Guy Adam Ailion
Synopsis:
A vivid poem about the narrator’s relationship with the City of Gold.
7pm
FEATURE FILM
Blade Runner, 1982, 17 mins
Director: Ridley Scott
Synopsis:
The movie takes place on a futuristic Earth where androids (called replicants) that are nearly indistinguishable from humans are commonplace. Although the replicants are usually forced to work in space they occasionally sneak their way to Earth. Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, a retired blade runner (bounty hunter of replicants) who is called back into action in order to stop a particularly dangerous replicant and "retire" him (that is, kill him).
The movie has a wonderfully dirty vision of the future with issues involving social class, globalization, artificial intelligence, and biomechanical engineering. And of course, some futuristic architecture. In 1993 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film has been hailed for its production design, depicting a "retrofitted" future, and remains a leading example of the neo-noir genre.
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THURSDAY 21 JUNE
SHORT FILMS 6.30pm
Design with the other 90%
2011, 25 mins
“The groundbreaking 2007 "Design for the Other 90%" exhibition has been developed by the Smithsonian Museum into an ongoing series that will continue to focus on design solutions that address the 90 percent of the world's population not traditionally serviced by the professional design community.
We will be showing an episode of the above series, entitled “Crossroads of change”. In Bangladesh, old school meets new as communities rise above floodwaters. Modular bikes in South Africa and vertical gyms in Venezuela allow end users to fit their needs (and even have fun along the way). And two groups in Africa are planting seeds. The first, in Kenya, is working towards food security in slums. And in South Africa, it's the seeds of cultural understanding that have been planted at a vibrant community crossroads.”
Smithsonian Channel
FEATURE FILM 7pm
Visual Acoustics
2008, 83 mins
“Visual Acoustics celebrates the life and career of Julius Shulman, "one of the world's greatest architectural photographers", whose images brought modern architecture to the American mainstream. Shulman captured the work of nearly every modern and progressive architect since the 1930s including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, John Lautner and Frank Gehry. His images epitomized the singular beauty of Southern California’s modernist movement and brought its iconic structures to the attention of the general public. This unique film is both a testament to the evolution of modern architecture and a joyful portrait of the magnetic, whip-smart gentleman who chronicled it with his unforgettable images.”
http://www.juliusshulmanfilm.com/
Featured films engage with themes ranging from the broad future of cities to architectural explorations in Africa to the journeys of individual designers in realising their visions. Viewers will be entertained and enriched by the spectrum of stories from playful architectural animations to dramatic and dark explorations.
Some highlights include documentary “Design with the other 90%” featuring Durban’s dynamic NPO Asiye eTafuleni, and winners of the “Moving Spaces Student Film Competition” 2011. The series opens with A Procura de Pancho, a playful exploration of the work of Maputo architect Pancho Guedes, and is followed by the popular Urbanized, in which director Gary Hustwit delves into the changing dynamics of the modern metropolis.
The series will continue for six weeks starting on Thursday 7 June and concluding on 12 July. All are welcome to attend the sessions which begin at 6:30 with a short film and are followed at 7pm with a full length feature. Attendees may arrive any time from 6pm and are encouraged to bring friends and picnic blankets. There is no fee.
The programme will be updated in the weeks preceding the opening and can be viewed at
http://www.kznia.org.za/events/cpd_events/2012/June/cinema_thursdays_architecture.htm
SACAP registered architectural professionals will also have the opportunity to gain CPD credits.
The KwaZulu Natal Institute for Architecture is a voluntary organisation of architectural professionals which aims to promote excellence in the built environment, and foster architectural appreciation amongst the general public.
The event is produced in partnership with the KZNSA Gallery and kindly sponsored by Dorma, Mouldings and Frames International, and the Cement and Concrete Institute’s Student short film competition 2012.
For more information
The KwaZulu Natal Institute for Architecture (KZNIA):
Tel: 031 – 201 7590
E: info@kznia.org.za
Website: www.kznia.org.za
Dorma: http://www.dorma.co.za/
Mouldings and Frames International: http://www.mfi-mouldings.co.za/~mfimould/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=28
Cement and Concrete Institute Student short film competition 2012: http://architectureza.org/comp_in_zero.html
