Thursday, March 26, 2009

"My Father, the Genius" tells the story of visionary architect through his relationships

The documentary, My Father the Genius, tells the story of visionary architect Glen Howard Smalls though his relationships with his ex-wives, colleagues and adult daughters. It is more about a daughter's attempt to understand a father who is unusual, to say the least, than his architecture.

Glen Howard Smalls, a graduate of the University of Oregon, was a founder of and an instructor at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc). Some of his designs such as the Biomorphic Biosphere seem less practical proposals and more like gossamer visions of another world. Others like the Green Machine incorporated ideas such as solar power generation and prefabrication that are part of many sustainable visions today.

This is an interesting film for anyone interested in not so famous architecture, relationships and the complicated personality that sometimes goes with a life of creativity. It is available for purchase and rental from Netflix.

This YouTube video isn't a trailer. It was put together by the soundtrack composer, Kaoru Ishibashi. But it may give you a taste of the film better than an actual trailer.


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