Aalto: Architect of Emotions (2020)
(Virpi Suutari, Finland 2020, 103 min., DCP, Finnish, German, Italian, Russian, French, and Swedish w/English Subtitles)
This documentary about the world-renowned architect and designer Alvar Aalto follows his life and career from the 1920s to the end of his life. His work, along with that of his first wife, Aino, was characterized by Gesamtkunstwerk, or “total work of art,” leading them to design not only the buildings themselves, but also the interiors, including surfaces, furniture, lamps, and glassware. This process led to his first international breakthrough with his furniture reflecting Scandinavian Modern design, including new processes of bending plywood. He would work through the end of his life designing structures erected around the world. A beautiful and fascinating look into this artist’s career, the film acts as a primer for those who don’t know him as well as an in-depth look for those who do.