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We may not think about the designs that help us make things easier in our day-to-day lives, but there’s nothing like art to illuminate the elements we don’t pay full attention to.
The Architecture & Design Film Festival is officially underway in the city of Winnipeg. Over the course of four days, it will showcase movies that highlight the importance of design in our lives from urban planning to graphics to architecture and everything in between.
The festival, which has been run by the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation since its inception fourteen years ago, has been curated by Susan Algie for that entire period. “We’re always looking for different ways to get people engaged and learning about their city and about the buildings in it,” she said in an interview on Morning Light.
Over those fourteen years, the festival has grown from eight films to 21 films from 13 different countries shown at four different venues. “I try to balance out having some fun films, some more serious films, thought-provoking, a range of them,” she explains. “I think the Winnipeg audience is very, very open to learning about new topics and new countries."
Algie’s hope is that by taking in the films that the festival, the discerning Winnipeg audience will engage in the conversations surrounding the films. In particular, she notes the films that tell design stories from cities that are similar to Winnipeg around the world. “It’s good inspiration to see that even in smaller centers, you can accomplish a lot and provide a safe, sustainable environment.”
One film that Algie cites as an example of a conversation-starter is Living Together, a film from Amsterdam about a collective of young people who, when faced with insurmountable housing costs, build a housing cooperative in their community. “Co-ops were really common through the 1960’s and 70’s because there was funding for them,” she says, “and then they became very rare. But I think that’s kind of an interesting idea.”
One other key element of the festival is the Archishorts competition. Filmmakers of all experience levels and locales send in two-minute films. The short films will be screened at Dave Barber Cinematheque on April 12 at noon, and can be related to anything about design. “This year, we’ve got some pretty amazing local ones that we’ll be screening,” Algie smiles.
“I think some of the films really do inspire,” she continues. “It is that thing – one small step, and then it grows. I think there’s been a few films that people might have walked out feeling very sad about, but you know, that’s part of the conversation. You have to see what’s wrong so you try to improve it.”
The Architecture & Design Film Festival runs until April 13 throughout the city. For more information, moviegoers can visit the festival’s website.