Overview
This isn't your run-of-the-mill biopic. Instead, the film
follows world-renowned architect Pei as he travels to his ancestral
home in China after seven decades of living in the West and tries
to introduce modernist ideas while preserving the country's
heritage. For an architect in his twilight years, it's a challenge
that leads to self reflection and personal discoveries - and
inevitably, he enters a crucible of conflict.
The film took eight years to make as it follows Pei on his
mission to internally integrate his Chinese heritage with his
modern vision. He makes this manifest as a stunning museum that has
at its heart a uniquely re-conceived Chinese garden that symbolizes
the surprising twists and turns that his own life has taken.
'It is my biggest challenge,' says the 93 year-old architect who
is best known for redesigning the Louvre in Paris. 'It is probably
also my last challenge.'
China/USA 2010 / 59min. / English, Chinese with English
subtitles.
Director Anne Makepeace.
Saturday 4 February - 1pm
Auditorium
