Antonio Gaudi

2012-06-26 02:50:39

I found a beautiful film to watch on Apple TV this evening: Antonio Gaudí, a 1985 documentary by Hiroshi Teshigahara. It shows buildings and parks designed by the famous Catalan architect but with almost no narration or voice-over; only in the last several minutes of the 72-minute film is there any narration, when the unfinished Templo de La Sagrado Familia cathedral in Barcelona is explored. (The narration is in Japanese with English subtitles.) The aspect ratio is 4 by 3, but Apple TV provides it in high definition, with good detail and warm, rich colors. The soundtrack is evocative, a mix of ambient electronic sounds and simple classical themes. The only disappointment is that except for the cathedral, the viewer is not told what is being shown. (The credits give some indication of locations but presumably one must either already be familiar with these works by Gaudí or be willing to do a little more research.) But perhaps my lack of familiarity with the architecture made it more mysterious and other-worldly for me, as the camera entered spaces with organic curves and sculptures, angular brickwork and surprising details (a fantastic metal dragon on a large wrought-iron gate; a circular stained-glass window formed by six lobes, two of which open by rotating on radial spokes from the center). It is fascinating in any event.