ADFF / Humanity in Architecture / Schedule
Friday, Jan 24
Buy Ticket: Fri Jan 24, 6:30pm
Venue: Sanctuary
In a rapidly urbanizing world, what does the future hold for traditional rural communities? On Fogo Island, a remote enclave off the coast of Newfoundland, the collapse of the cod fishing industry threatens to erode the island’s way of life. In response, architect Todd Saunders and social entrepreneur Zita Cobb join forces to create bold, innovative architecture that serves as a catalyst for social transformation. This visually stunning documentary takes viewers to the heart of Fogo Island, where locals collaborate with Saunders and Cobb to design and build an inn for contemporary artists. The film showcases a community’s perseverance to create “new things with old ways.”
Saturday, Jan 25
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 5:45pm
Venue: Sanctuary
Revisiting the genre of the road movie in a diaristic and personal way, the film takes us on board Ryue Nishizawa’s vintage Alfa Romeo for a day-long drive through the streets of Tokyo. Nishizawa, one of Japan’s most celebrated architects, reflects on his deep connection to Tokyo, sharing stories about the places he holds dear, the buildings that have shaped his vision, and his own architectural projects. Tokyo Ride is a cinematic meditation on the ways in which architecture and urban space nourish both the mind and the spirit.
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 3:10pm
Venue: West Barn
Q&A with Director Ultan Guilfoyle
“What if people changed their ways and started treating people like human beings? What would it be like? What would prisons look like?” Legendary architect Frank Gehry teams up with some of the best architecture students in the country to re-envision the future of incarceration. Building Justice follows Gehry and his students to prisons in the US and Norway, where they learn about the flows of prison design first-hand from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 3:20pm
Venue: Commons Theatre
In the neighborhood of Manshiyat Nasr in Cairo, the community of Zaraeeb collected the city’s trash for decades and developed the most efficient and highly profitable recycling system in the world. Still, the place is often perceived as dirty, marginalized, and segregated. Tunisian artist eL Seed and his team responded to this perception by creating an anamorphic sculpture that covers almost 50 buildings and is visible from Moqattam Mountain. The piece of art references Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, a Coptic Bishop from the third century who said, “Anyone who wants to see the sunlight clearly needs to wipe his eye first.”
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 3:00pm
Venue: Sanctuary
You may not know his name, but chances are you know his work. Laurie Olin is the visionary landscape architect behind some of America’s most iconic public spaces, including the Getty Center Gardens, Battery Park City, Columbus Circle, the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden, Bryant Park, and many more. Sitting Still offers an in-depth portrait of this unconventional urban thinker, showcasing his deeply human-centered approach to design. Through a prism of the issues that have shaped his career—urbanization and a lost connection to nature, economic marginalization, and the grave importance of humanity in design—the film reveals Olin’s profoundly social vision.
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 12:40pm
Venue: West Barn
This visually stunning film explores the work of landscape designer Piet Oudolf, who transformed public spaces like New York City’s High Line and the Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Known for reimagining gardens as living works of art, Oudolf’s designs challenge traditional views of nature. The film takes viewers into his creative process, offering a glimpse into his artistic vision, his philosophical approach, and his strikingly abstract sketches. Through an intimate exploration of Oudolf’s ideas, Five Seasons unveils the profound ecological and aesthetic implications of his work, showing how he reshapes our understanding of public spaces, nature, and beauty itself.
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 12:50pm
Venue: Commons Theatre
Mr. Moriyama is as unconventional as the space he inhabits. Moriyama-San offers an intimate, one-week glimpse into the extraordinary yet ordinary life of a Japanese art, architecture, and music enthusiast living in the iconic Moriyama House. The house, a minimalist architectural marvel designed in 2005 by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA), redefines the concept of domestic life. Through a blend of noise music, experimental cinema, and unconventional reading practices, the film invites viewers into the vibrant, free-flowing world of Moriyama-San, exploring his eclectic passions and creative pursuits.
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 12:30pm
Venue: Sanctuary
Cuba’s National Art Schools, designed by three visionary architects in the early days of Castro’s Revolution, were hailed as bold, revolutionary works—before being abandoned and nearly forgotten. Commissioned by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in 1961, the schools became vibrant cultural hubs. But as the political landscape shifted, construction was abruptly halted, and the architects were sidelined. Forty years later, an unexpected invitation from Castro brings the exiled architects back to Cuba to complete their dream. This film uncovers the untold story of a revolutionary architectural project, exploring its rise, fall, and rediscovery as a symbol of Cuba’s evolving identity.
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 10:40am
Venue: West Barn
“By civilization’s definition I am a captain of industry. By my own definition I am a plunderer of the earth and a legal thief.” After a life-changing epiphany, CEO Ray Anderson embarks on a high-stakes quest to eliminate all negative environmental impacts of his company Interface, the largest carpet tile manufacturer in the world. To succeed, the company must overcome deep skepticism, abandon the status quo, and ignite a new industrial revolution. Beyond Zero offers an inspirational roadmap for how business can reverse climate change.
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 10:30am
Venue: Commons Theatre
Biologist Janine Benyus explores nature as a model for reinventing our world. Journeying globally, Biocentrics unveils the origins and principles of biomimicry, inspired by 3.8 billion years of natural innovation. Benyus, a charismatic activist, connects knowledge, cultures, and initiatives that prioritize the continuity of life on Earth. With a transdisciplinary approach, she proposes a common agenda and a cutting-edge tool to tackle imminent global challenges. Witness the birth of a new scientific frontier shaping our response to the future.
Buy Ticket: Sat Jan 25, 10:50am
Venue: Sanctuary
Designer and architect Charlotte Perriand left her mark on the 20th century. Free-spirited and politically engaged, she designed revolutionary furnishings and participated in the invention of modern dwellings that were in harmony with both their inhabitants and their environment. Pioneer in the Art of Living is a notebook of memories, giving an up-close look at everything from Perriand’s avant-garde battles alongside Le Corbusier in the 1930s to her time in Japan, which affirmed a lifestyle based on openness and flexibility. The film reflects on contemporary society through the eyes of one exceptional figure.