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We preview the annual Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival
June officially marks the beginning of winter: what better time to kick back and enjoy explorations of design and architecture on the big screen? The annual Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival runs throughout the country, with screenings in Christchurch and Dunedin scheduled for June and July. Making your way through the entire programme might require a few days of annual leave; you can reflect on how strong your work ethic is during Konstantin Grcic: Design is Work. The documentary follows Grcic (creator of the ‘Chair_One’ for Magis and widely regarded as one of the most innovative contemporary designers) for a year, providing the proof for his statement that, “Design is… hard work, serious work.” Serious work also goes into spending six decades in architecture: It’s all a Plan looks back on the life and work of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, in a series of interviews with his daughter Joana. The 88-year-old Brazilian talks frankly and fascinatingly about his trademark Brutalist buildings, as well as everything from urbanism to humanity. The humanity theme continues in A Test of Faith, a documentary tracing the four-year process of painstakingly deconstructing and resurrecting Wellington’s St Mary of the Angels church. The historic church was closed after being assessed as an earthquake risk; the film brings a sensitive viewpoint to the passion and dedication of those involved in giving the building a new lease of life. And from reconstruction to renovation, Die Neue Nationalgalerie chronicles the history and renovation of the Berlin art gallery. The Neue Nationalgalerie was the last building designed by Mies van der Rohe and the film expertly blends archival interviews and footage with contemporary commentary, looking both at the gallery’s beginnings and towards its future.