A visual documentary of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi’s work. World renown filmmaker Hiroshi Teshigahara immortalizes Gaudi’s work through his film, but also a release that features the artistic side of both Hiroshi and his father Sofu Teshigahara. With enjoyable special features and an an insightful and informative 38-page book, if you are a fan of Gaudi or Teshigahara artistic work, this is a DVD worth owning! Definitely recommended!
Image courtesy of 1984 Teshigahara Productions. 1963Sculptures by Sofu-Vita. 2008 Toho Co. Ltd., 2008 All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Antonio Gaudi – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #425
DURATION: 72 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Color, Monaural in Japanese with optional English Subtitles, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio
COMPANY: Janus Films/The Criterion Collection
RELEASED: 2008
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
Produced by Noriko Nomura
Executive Producer: Hiroshi Teshigahara
Music by Shiji Hori, Kurodo Mori, Toru Takemitsu
Cinematography by Junichi Segawa, Ryu Segawa, Yoshikazu Yanagida
Edited by Hiroshi Teshigahara, Eiko Yoshida
Starring:
Isidre Puig Boada as himself
Seiji Miyaguchi – Boada (voice)
Catalan architect Antonio Gaudà (1852–1926) designed some of the world’s most astonishing buildings, interiors, and parks; Japanese director Hiroshi Teshigahara constructed some of the most aesthetically audacious films ever made. Here their artistry melds in a unique, enthralling cinematic experience. Less a documentary than a visual poem, Teshigahara’s Antonio Gaudà takes viewers on a tour of GaudÃ’s truly spectacular architecture, including his massive, still-unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona. With camera work as bold and sensual as the curves of his subject’s organic structures, Teshigahara immortalizes Gaudà on film.
Hiroshi Teshigahara, known for films such as the 1964 “Suna no Onna” (Woman in the Dunes), “Otoshiana”, “Ako”, “Tanin no kao” was a painter and a sculptor (Hiroshi Teshigahara graduated from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music). Raised by Sofu Teshigahara, the founder of the Sogetsu School if Ikebana flower arranging, Sofu was also an artist and knew many well-known artists while growing up and introducing art to Hiroshi when he was younger.
As Hiroshi was pushing for an avante-garde style of art, he was also a blossoming filmmaker and one of his first early footage he shot was back in 1959 when he and his father going to Spain for the first time and even meeting Salvador Dali. It was at that time when he and his father were both enamored with the works of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (note: The name “Antonio” is also used, esp. for the title of the film) (1852-1926) who designed beautiful buildings, interiors and parks that would influence Japanese artists in the late 1950’s and again in the 1980’s.
Teshigahara revisited Barcelona in 1984 and was able to create a film on the works of Antoni Gaudi. Showcasing Gaudi’s unique architecture all including his unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona.
“Antonio Gaudi” can be seen as a documentary or art film as it doesn’t feature much dialogue but celebrates Gaudi’s work as we see the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, Barcelona, Spanish art, the Palace of Catalan Music, Casa Amatller, Casa Batllo, La Pedrera, the Catalonian countryside, Casa Vicens, Bellesguart, Santa Teresa School, Guell Pavilions, Guell Palace, Guell Cellar, the Sagrada Familia school, La Boqueria Market, Colonia Guell Crypt, Park Guell, Montserrat and the Sagrada Familia cathedral.
This is a celebration for Antoni Gaudi’s work and The Criterion Collection known for releasing important classic and contemporary films features a 2-disc DVD set in which Hiroshi Teshigahara immortalizes Gaudi on film and featurettes that also celebrates Antoni Gaudi’s work. It’s important to note that the film features his work and is not about Gaudi’s life.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Antonio Gaudi” is presented in its original aspect ratio if 1:33:1. For a film that is 26-years-old, the film looks absolutely vibrant and colorful. According to Criterion, the high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm low-contrast print struck from the original negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System.
I believed that when Hiroshi Teshigahara went to Spain for the first time with his father, he knew the enormity of what kind of cameras and lenses would be needed to capture his work on film. Teshigahara and his cinematographers did a wonderful job in capturing the beauty of the architectural work but also capturing the detail. You see the curves, you see many of Gaudi’s work upclose and giving the viewer a first hand look of areas that Teshigahara was captivated by. Absolutely beautiful camerawork!
As for the audio, there is music which was mastered at 24-bit from the original soundtrack print. Criterion used audio restoration tools to reduce the clicks, pops, hiss and crackle. There is a short scene with Isidre Puig Boada a Catalan architect connected to Antoni Gaudi who is being interviewed with Japanese dub over by Seiji Miyaguchi. But audio is Dolby Digital 1.0. For those with a modern home theater receiver and a 5.1 , 7.2 or higher setup may want to set the audio settings for stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack.
Optional English subtitles are provided as well.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Antonio Gaudi” comes with the following special features on disc 2:
- Gaudi, Catalunya, 1959 – (19:26) In 1959, Hiroshi Teshigahara accompanied his father, Sofu to Spain bringing with him a 16mm camera to film Barcelona, the Catalonian countryside and visiting the home of Salvador Dali in Port Lligat. The featurette has no sound but definitely a time capsule of footage from that era and also a rare look at Salvador Dali as host for the Teshigahara’s.
- Arata Isozaki Interview – (13:06) A featurette from 2006 with Arata Isozaki (known for designing the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art building) reminiscing of working with Hiroshi Teshigahara, making “Antonio Gaudi” and his life.
- “God’s Architect: Antoni Gaudi” (59:28) An installment from a three-part BBC architecture series “Visions of Space” featuring art critic Robert Hughes exploring the power of religion in the works of Gaudi.
- Monitor – (15:55) A B&W installment of “Monitor” hosted by Ken Russell who focuses on Gaudi’s architecture with early photos of Gaudi, his funeral and his work. Russell directed 21 one short documentaries for BBC’s arts television series “Monitor”.
- Sculptures by Sofu-Vita – (17:18) A short film by Hiroshi Teshigahara made in 1963. The installation features his father Sofu Teshigahara’s work at a sculpture exhibition at the Sogetsu Institute. We see the making of the exhibition and close ups of Sofu Teshigahara’s sculptures.
Also, included with this two-DVD set is a 38-page booklet featuring an essay by Dore Ashton titled “Border Crossings” about Teshigahara’s work and influence leading up to the making of “Antoni Gaudi”. “My First Trip to the West” by Hiroshi Teshigahara used in his producer Noriko Nomura’s 2007 book of production notes “Eiga Koto Hajime”. Also, included is “A Photographic View of Travels in the West” featuring a roundtable discussion sponsored by the Sogetsu Camera Club with Sofu and Hiroshi Teshigahara as they returned from their travels in the US and Europe. Other participants in the roundtable include photographers Ken Domon and Taro Hiramatsu.
I want to go to Barcelona and see these works of Antoni Gaudi! This is how I felt after I watched Hiroshi Teshigahara’s “Antoni Gaudi”.
What a beautiful film showcasing Antoni Gaudi’s work. Aside from what I have seen from pictures online and postcards, I have never seen the detail of the work of Gaudi until I have seen this film. Teshigahara and his cameramen did a wonderful job in capturing the mood, the environment, the scenery, the sculptures, you name it…Teshigahara did a great job in having them focus on key areas in order to capture the beauty of the various works of Gaudi.  Just to see his footage of the the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona was just breathtaking.  To see the detail of the cathedral and his other works was very impressive and after watching this film, I now want to go to Barcelona and see his works up close.
I have to admit that this is one release from The Criterion Collection that is a film that is not going to be for everyone though. It’s more or less for those who have an appreciation for art and architecture and in this case, Gaudi’s work. Think of it more of a visual walkthrough Spain ala 1984 and Teshigahara being your tour guide through various works of Gaudi. No dialogue, just the visual with accompanying music.
I personally loved this release because it focused on Gaudi’s work but also a rare glimpse of Hiroshi Tesihigahara and his father Sofu. It was a project that began back in 1959 when he accompanied his father to their first trip to Spain and then followed up years after his father’s death and capturing the details of the work on film 25-years-later. So, I would imagine that this film was a personal film for Hiroshi Teshigahara and an important film for him to make as he and his father shared that same passion together.
The amount of extra special features is definitely a major plus and what makes this release so irresistible. For one, you get the 1959 home video by Hiroshi when he went with his father to Spain but that rare glimpse of Salvador Dali is just priceless. You also get Hiroshi creating a short film of his father’s sculptures back in 1963 for an exhibition and a video interview with a close friend Arata Isozaki who comments on the Teshigahara’s and growing up with Hiroshi Teshigahara. And then you get two solid documentaries on Antoni Gaudi from “Visions of Space” and “Monitor” which were informative and just delightful to watch. And also an enjoyable 38-page book which I enjoyed reading.
This is a very unique release for The Criterion Collection and may not be a film for everyone since its more or less a visual documentary on the work of Antoni Gaudi. But if you are interested in Gaudi’s work, especially the artistic side of Hiroshi Teshigahara and his father Sofu, then “Antonio Gaudi” is definitely worth having in your collection!