FIFTH ANNUAL ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM JANUARY 26-29, 2023

–Sixteen provocative films explore issues of gentrification, urban planning, sustainability and other topics pertinent to the D.C. development landscape–

Opening Night features insights about urban planning while Closing Brunch features a D.C. Go-Go band performance and film screening about a D.C. public housing development.

WASHINGTON, D.C.–December 15, 2022—The National Building Museum will, for the fifth year, partner with the Architecture & Design Film Festival to produce and host the beloved festival in Washington, D.C. (ADFF:DC) January 26-29, 2023. Throughout the course of four days, the festival will showcase a diverse selection of films from more than eleven countries that investigate design’s impact, environmentally and culturally, on the worlds of fashion, real estate, art, architecture, urban planning, and housing.

ADFF:DC Opening Night kicks off on Thursday, January 26, with Alice Street, a moving documentary about the power of public art and a mural that brought together artists, community leaders and two neighborhoods in the fight to protect history, culture and voice in the face of gentrification. The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director Spencer Wilkinson and community organizer, Lailan Sandra Huen. The evening will also feature an open bar, delicious hors d’oeuvres, and an opportunity to mingle following the screening of the film.

Friday and Saturday evening’s festivities begin with a Happy Hour, featuring vendors, Little Miner Taco, Don Ciccio & Figli, Other Half Brewing, and Silver Branch Brewing.

Friday evening includes a photography showcase featuring local artists, James Singewald and Steven Cummings, and multiple films exploring international design, the origins of redlining, and modern consequences of discriminatory urban design.

Saturday’s films highlight the exciting world of sustainable fashion. In addition to screenings, visitors can learn more about sustainable clothing at a panel discussion with industry leaders and pick up a one-of-a-kind piece from local vendors Tribute Collective, Bitter Grace or Illicit Rag Vintage at a pop-up market in the Great Hall.

The festival concludes on Sunday, January 29, with a celebration of D.C. culture and history featuring a Go-Go brunch with popular D.C. band TOB, a pop-up exhibition of photographer Dee Dwyer’s work documenting the people and culture of Southeast D.C., and a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary Barry Farm: Community, Land and Justice in Washington D.C. The film tells the story of the fight to protect the legacy of a cherished community that helped define D.C. culture and will be followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Samuel George and Sabiyha Prince.

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ADFF and proud that many of the films curated for this year’s festival are timely and relevant to residents in the D.C metro area,” said Aileen Fuchs, President and Executive Director of the Museum. “We are dedicated to offering engaging, immersive programming that inspires and educates about the world we design and build. This year’s festival features films that focus on equity, sustainability, and innovation, all of which are part of the Museum’s guiding Pillars of Impact. We hope visitors will come in from the cold to experience thought-provoking films and discussions; delicious food and beverages; and fun cultural activations around fashion, photography, and music.”

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE:

Thursday, January 26, 2023

• 5–9:30 pm Opening Night Celebration
  • Alice Street—2020 / 70 min / USA, Director: Spencer Wilkinson, Co-presented by National Building Museum
    • Q&A with Spencer Wilkinson follows the screening.

Friday, January 27, 2023

• 5–6 pm Happy Hour with Photography Showcase
• 6–7:30 pm
  • Segregated by Design—2020 / 17 min / USA, Director: Mark Lopez, shown with: Committee of Six — 2022 / 37 min / USA, Director: Fred Schmidt-Arenales
    • A panel discussion follows the screening.
• 6:15–7:45 pm
  • Robin Hood Gardens—2022 / 90 min / Germany, Directors: Thomas Beyer, Adrian Dorschner
• 6:30–7:50 pm
  • Grethe Meyer–The Queen of Danish Design—2021 / 61 min / Denmark, Director: Isabel Bernadette Brammer
    • Q&A follows the screening.
• 8:15–9:45 pm
  • Maija Isola–Master of Colour and Form—2021 / 90 min / Finland, Director: Leena Kilpeläinen
• 8:30–10 pm
  • Builders, Housewives and the Construction of Modern Athens—2021 / 87 min / Greece, Directors: Tassos Langis and Yiannis Gaitanidis
• 8:45–9:50 pm
  • Beyond the Life of Forms—2021 / 63 min / Italy, Directors: Francesco Conversano, Nene Grignaffini

Saturday, January 28, 2023

• 5–6 pm Happy Hour with Sustainable Fashion Pop-Up
• 6–7:45 pm
  • A World to Shape—2022 / 52 min / Netherlands, Director: Ton van Zantvoort
    • A panel discussion follows the screening.
• 6:15–7:30 pm
  • Building Bastille! The Tangled and Improbable Story of the Opera Bastille—2021 / 76 min / Canada, Director: Leif Kaldor
• 6:30–8 pm
  • Under Tomorrow’s Sky—2021 / 71 min / Netherlands, Director: Jan Louter
    • Q&A follows the screening
• 8:30–10:30 pm
  • Fashion Reimagined—2022 / 100 min / UK, Director: Becky Hunter
    • Q&A follows the screening.
• 8:45–10 pm
  • Concrete Landscape—2022 / 72 min / Brazil, Directors: Laura Artigas, Luiz Ferraz
• 9–10:15 pm
  • GES-2—2021 / 77 min / Russia, Director: Nastia Korkia

Sunday, January 29, 2023

• 10 am–noon GoGo Brunch with Photography Showcase
• noon–1:45 pm
  • Barry Farm: Community, Land and Justice in Washington D.C.—2022 / 50 min / USA, Directors: Samuel George and Sabiyha Prince
    • A panel discussion follows the screening.
• 2:30–4:15 pm
  • Bawa’s Garden—2022 / 84 min / UK, Director: Clara Kraft Isono
    • Q&A follows the screening.
• 2:30–3:40 pm
  • Alice Street—2020 / 70 min / USA, Director: Spencer Wilkinson

National Building Museum: Karen Baratz, karen@baratzpr.com, 240.497.1811

IMAGES: Film stills and images for ADFF:DC are available HERE. All images are courtesy of their subject films.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM
The National Building Museum inspires curiosity about the world we design and build. We believe that understanding the impact of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, construction, planning, and design is important for everyone. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and special events, we welcome visitors of all ages to experience stories about the built world and its power to shape our lives, our communities, and our futures. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448, info@nbm.org, or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FILM FESTIVAL

Founded in 2009, the Architecture & Design Film Festival celebrates the creative spirit that drives architecture and design. Through a curated selection of films, events, and panel discussions, ADFF creates an opportunity to educate, entertain, and engage all types of people who are excited about architecture and design. It has grown into the world’s largest film festival devoted to the subject with an annual festival in New York and satellite events around the world. For more information, visit www.adfilmfest.com or @ADFILMFEST on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ADFF:DC FILM DESCRIPTIONS:

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Alice Street
2020 / 70 min / USA
Director: Spencer Wilkinson
Co-presented by National Building Museum

Alice Street is a compelling story of how two artists in Oakland form an unlikely partnership to tackle a four-story mural at a unique intersection where Chinese and Afro-Diasporic communities face the imminent threat of displacement and gentrification. After the conclusion of the mural, the construction of a luxury condominium threatens to demolish the artwork.

Friday, January 27, 2023

Segregated by Design
2020 / 17 min / USA
Director: Mark Lopez

Segregated By Design examines the forgotten history of how our federal, state and local governments unconstitutionally segregated every major metropolitan area in America through law and policy.

Committee of Six
2022 / 37 min / US
Director: Fred Schmidt-Arenales

Committee of Six reenacts the 1955 meetings that took place between community leaders and University of Chicago officials for the purpose of creating an “Urban Renewal Program” for the neighborhood of Hyde Park, on the south side of Chicago. The film invites comparison between the language of the past and the contemporary reality of gentrification and racist real estate practices in Chicago.

Robin Hood Gardens
2022 / 90 min / Germany
Directors: Thomas Beyer and Adrian Dorschner
Co-presented by Goethe Institute New York and Swiss Consulate New York

The controversial East-London council estate, Robin Hood Gardens, built in 1972 by Alison & Peter Smithson, was not only unloved by its first residents, but also garnered divisive responses from internationally renowned critics. In light of the estate’s fiftieth anniversary, the documentary offers surprising insights from residents and critics of the ostracized project.

Grethe Meyer–The Queen of Danish Design
2021 / 61 min / Denmark
Director: Isabel Bernadette Brammer
Co-presented by Suite NY and Danish Consulate New York

The Queen of Danish Design tells the story of Grethe Meyer, one of the few pioneering women who created classic Danish designs globally renowned for their simplicity, functionality, and longevity in the 1940s and 1950s.

Maija Isola–Master of Colour and Form
2021 / 90 min / Finland
Director: Leena Kilpeläinen
Co-presented by Consulate General of Finland, New York

Finnish artist Maija Isola was one of the first designers of Marimekko – the Finnish design brand known for its vibrant and original prints. The film traces the footsteps of Maija, who revolutionized Finnish homes in the 1950s and 60s, and explores her life, sources of inspiration, legacy, and the secret behind the success of her nature-inspired fabrics.

Builders, Housewives and the Construction of Modern Athens
2021 / 87 min / Greece
Directors: Tassos Langis and Yiannis Gaitanidis
Co-presented by Oninasis Foundation

Builders, Housewives and the Construction of Modern Athens unveils a new perspective of the city, examining the most distinctive Athenian building type – the polykatoikía – and the city’s reconstruction by anonymous lay builders and their housewives.

Beyond the Life of Forms
2021 / 63 min / Italy
Directors: Francesco Conversano and Nene Grignaffini

Beyond the Life of Forms takes viewers on two separate emotional and symbolic journeys into the visionary universe of two great, 20th century Italian architects–Carlo Scarpa and Aldo Rossi–and their respective views about life on this earth and afterlife.

Saturday, January 28, 2023

A World to Shape
2022 / 52 min / Netherlands
Director: Ton van Zantvoort
Co-presented by Dutch Cultures USA

Nienke Hoogvliet (1989) and Dave Hakkens (1988) represent a new generation of contemporary Dutch Designers. Acutely aware of the depletion of raw materials, energy scarcity, and globalization, their mission is to discover solutions to make their industries more sustainable.

Building Bastille! The Tangled and Improbable Story of the Opera Bastille
2021 / 76 min / Canada
Director: Leif Kaldor

Building Bastille! tells the comedic and tangled story of modern history’s most remarkable case of mistaken identity and seized opportunity. In 1982, the socialist President of France opens a blind competition to build an opera. The jury selects a drawing that appears to be that of a prominent American architect, but it is a submission from the unknown and inexperienced Canadian architect Carlos Ott.

Under Tomorrow’s Sky
2021 / 71 min / Netherlands
Director: Jan Louter
Co-presented by Eventscape and Dutch Cultures USA

Renowned architect and urbanist Winy Maas is passionate about finding innovative solutions for the city of the future and advocates for ‘high rises on a human scale’. Under Tomorrow’s Sky provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Maas’ professional life and explores how his designs can keep future cities compact and livable.

Fashion Reimagined
2022 / 100 min / UK
Director: Becky Hunter
Co-presented by Design for Freedom

Fashion Reimagined follows Amy Powney, designer of the London brand Mother of Pearl, as she sets out to create a collection that’s ethical and sustainable at every level. Powney’s journey takes a deep dive into the supply chain, uncovering its destructive cycle from deforestation, and animal mutilation to farmer suicide.

Concrete Landscape
2022 / 72 min / Brazil
Directors: Laura Artigas and Luiz Ferraz

Concrete Landscape presents a narrative view of the life of Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza while exploring his relationship with Brazil, including his familial roots and the Ibere Camargo Institution – Siza’s only building in his country.

GES-2
2021 / 77 min / Russia
Director: Nastia Korkia

In 2014, a 20,000 square meter power plant in Moscow was transformed into a new, global cultural institution. With intimate access to workers, builders, project supervisors, and architects, GES-2 offers an up-close portrait of the transformation. Interlacing the events in an unconventional and non-chronological order, the film provides a dose of humor on an often unexplored topic in design.

Sunday, January 29, 2023

Barry Farm: Community, Land and Justice in Washington D.C.
2022 / 50 min / US
Director: Samuel George and Sabiyha Prince

This documentary tells a story of a journey for community, land, and for justice. It is a story of Barry Farm, in Southeast DC, the site of one of DC’s first thriving Black communities, later a public housing complex, now under redevelopment. In the cycles of place and displacement, it is a story of the United States of America.

Bawa’s Garden
2022 / 84 min / UK
Director: Clara Kraft Isono

Bawa’s Garden follows a protagonist scouring the island of Sri Lanka for the ‘lost’ garden of Lunuganga. Her search includes a series of encounters that reveal the story of renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, interwoven with dreamlike narratives from real life characters.