{"id":6799,"date":"2013-07-01T12:25:58","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T16:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/?p=6799"},"modified":"2013-07-01T12:25:58","modified_gmt":"2013-07-01T16:25:58","slug":"sagrada-the-mystery-of-creation-sagrada-el-misteri-de-la-creacio-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/?p=6799","title":{"rendered":"Sagrada: The Mystery of Creation \/ Sagrada – el misteri de la creaci\u00f3 (2012)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Return to: <\/strong>Home <\/a>\/\u00a0Blu-ray, DVD, Film Reviews<\/a> \/ <\/em>S<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Film: Very Good \/ DVD Transfer: \u00a0n\/a \/ DVD Extras: n\/a<\/p>\n

Label: n\/a\/ Region: n\/a\u00a0\/\u00a0Released: n\/a<\/p>\n

Genre: Documentary \/ Architecture \/ Antoni Gaudi \/ Sagrada Familia<\/p>\n

Synopsis: Detailed snapshot of Antoni Gaudi’s greatest (and biggest) creation – the Sagrada Familia cathedral – as it’s surpassed the halway point of its 125+ years of construction.<\/p>\n

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Review:<\/p>\n

When the cathedral\u2019s original architect was dumped by his patrons after a year\u2019s work, and legendary Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi was brought in to continue the project in 1883, little did anyone know the building would become both an obsession and symbol of stubbornness among Gaudi, his followers who continued its construction, and the family who inaugurated what will become the biggest cathedral on Earth once its central spire \u2013 all 170 meters \u2013 is completed.<\/p>\n

Now in its 125th year of construction \u2013 Gaudi devoted the last years of his life exclusively to the Barcelona edifice \u2013 the Sagrada Familia<\/a> as it\u2019s called has weathered weak \/ non-existent finances (Gaudi at one point is reported to have gone door-to-door asking for construction funds), the Spanish Civil War (rebels not only set fire to the building\u2019s interior, but destroyed every record of its construction, smashing the elaborate plaster models Gaudi used to realize his dream project), the natural elements (construction didn\u2019t resume until a year after Franco\u2019s death in 1977), and ongoing opposition from critics who believe the building is a bit of a monster.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a sense opponents of its completion would\u2019ve preferred it was \u2018demolished by neglect\u2019 \u2013 something perhaps Franco desired, after banning the use of religious buildings, and letting the structure just sit there near the edge of the city \u2013 but Gaudi made two brilliant moves: rather than building the cathedral from the ground up, he wanted a full fa\u00e7ade done, so future architects could follow his plan with a stark, functional reference point; and its outer carvings were supposed to be crafted by local contemporary artisans \u2013 meaning the building would evolve and remain relevant during its erection and beyond.<\/p>\n

A major irony was the hiring of brilliant abstract sculptor Joseph Subirachs, one of several architects and sculptors who signed a petition at one point requesting any attempts to complete the cathedral be stopped. Subirachs\u2019 finished work creates a link between classical and contemporary art, and while Gaudi purists object to the harsh lines of his carvings, they are stunning creations which blend beautifully with Gaudi\u2019s outer structure.<\/p>\n

The building\u2019s current hurdles including the construction of a high-speed train 30 feet beneath the building\u2019s foundations, and the likelihood it\u2019ll take another 30 years to complete the Sagrada, but it has surpassed the midpoint, and tourism has in fact solved the bulk of the building\u2019s construction financing, so perhaps after 150 years, the job will finally be done.<\/p>\n

Stefan Haupt\u2019s documentary covers three phases of its recent history: its consecration by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, and the brief periods before & after where the inner stone cladding was partially complete, and the tunneling of the train system was still being fought in the courts. During these periods, Haupt visited the building and photographed parts of its inner and outer sections, and gathered interviews from supporters, workers, supervisors, detractors, sculptors Subirachs and Etsuro Sotoo, and stained glass artisan Joan Vila-Grau who created the brilliant windows.<\/p>\n

Much of the project\u2019s construction is examined in sometimes dry details, and Bach\u2019s Mass in B Minor reappears at points, conducted (apparently) inside the cathedral by Jordi Savall. (One hopes its acoustics won\u2019t be buggered once the trains start rolling beneath.) Haupt also uses an occasional (and odd) device of a waif who sits or poses silent inside the building, or sometimes wanders its winding stairways.<\/p>\n

For architects, fans of Gaudi, and those intrigued by a modern spiritual quest shared by Catholic, multi-faith, and agnostic workers and artisans, Haupt\u2019s film is a highly informative document that\u2019s sure to be upgraded by further filmic visitations as the Sagrada Familia reaches its endpoint. Non-fans may find the film more ponderous, over-examining the minutia of its history and the main figures \u2013 architects, sculptors, and foremen \u2013 who recall and reflect on their own odyssey with Gaudi\u2019s grotesque structure.<\/p>\n

Another weakness is a lack of further wide shots and finer visual details from within the building; Haupt\u2019s camera does float in and around the structure, but lacking are perhaps more images that reveal its scale not from a distance or from a waiting tourist\u2019s vantage, but the nearby streets and parks to convey the massive bulk of a structure with 18 spires that will permanently tower above Barcelona.<\/p>\n

More recent interviews with some of film\u2019s subjects can be seen in \u201cGod\u2019s Architect<\/a>,\u201d an excellent episode of 60 Minutes which aired in June 9, 2013.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 2013 Mark R. Hasan<\/p>\n

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External References<\/em>:<\/p>\n

IMDB <\/a><\/p>\n

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Vendor Search Links:<\/em><\/p>\n

Amazon.ca<\/a>\"\" \"\" —<\/span> Amazon.com<\/a>\"\" \"\" —<\/span> Amazon.co.uk<\/a>\"\" \"\"—New movie releases on iTunes<\/a>\"\"
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Return to<\/strong>:\u00a0Home <\/a>\/\u00a0Blu-ray, DVD, Film Reviews<\/a> <\/em>\/\u00a0S<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Return to: Home \/\u00a0Blu-ray, DVD, Film Reviews \/ S . Film: Very Good \/ DVD Transfer: \u00a0n\/a \/ DVD Extras: n\/a Label: n\/a\/ Region: n\/a\u00a0\/\u00a0Released: n\/a Genre: Documentary \/ Architecture \/ Antoni Gaudi \/ Sagrada Familia Synopsis: Detailed snapshot of Antoni Gaudi’s greatest (and biggest) creation – the Sagrada Familia cathedral – as it’s surpassed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[18],"tags":[2105,2106],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8nuyW-1LF","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6799"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6799"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6801,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6799\/revisions\/6801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}