Award-winning filmmaker Wim Wenders has completed "From Inside Out: The Architecture of Peter Zumthor," a 3D documentary that chronicles a remarkable 14-year odyssey into the world of the reclusive Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architect. The feature-length film, which is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, delves into Zumthor’s distinctive philosophy and his celebrated architectural works, marking Wenders’ longest commitment to a single documentary project to date. HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales for the eagerly anticipated production, which counts Hollywood star Brad Pitt among its executive producers.
Wenders’ Legacy in Artist Portraits
For much of the past three decades, Wenders has cultivated a reputation for crafting intimate and critically acclaimed portraits of fellow artists. His filmography boasts a series of Oscar-nominated documentaries, including the exploration of Cuban musicians in Buena Vista Social Club (1999), the tribute to choreographer Pina Bausch in Pina (2011), and the depiction of photographer Sebastião Salgado’s work in The Salt of the Earth (2014). More recently, he illuminated the German painter-sculptor Anselm Kiefer in Anselm (2023). While these films garnered significant accolades and critical praise, none demanded the extensive, almost spiritual commitment that From Inside Out: The Architecture of Peter Zumthor ultimately required.
The Genesis of "From Inside Out": A Serendipitous Beginning
The ambitious project on Peter Zumthor began modestly in 2012 when British architect David Chipperfield, then curator of the Venice Architecture Biennale, invited Wenders to create a short film about Zumthor. Intrigued by the Swiss master’s buildings, Wenders embarked on a two-day shoot at Zumthor’s unassuming office nestled in Haldenstein, high in the Swiss mountains. This initial endeavor resulted in the 2012 short, Notes on a Day in the Life of an Architect. However, the experience left Wenders with a profound sense that he had barely scratched the surface of Zumthor’s profound work and philosophy.
"At the end, we shook hands on ‘doing something real together,’" Wenders recalled, reflecting on the nascent stages of their collaboration. "Little did we know that the journey would last 14 years." This initial encounter, intended as a brief exploration, blossomed into an expansive, long-term observation, driven by Wenders’ deep admiration for Zumthor’s artistic integrity and his unique approach to creation.
Exploring Zumthor’s Vision Through a Lens of Time
The completed two-hour documentary offers an immersive journey through Zumthor’s architectural oeuvre, spanning decades of his career. Viewers are transported from some of his earliest and most iconic works, such as the serene St. Benedict’s Chapel completed in 1988, to the poignant Steilneset Memorial for burned witches above the Arctic Circle in Norway. The film culminates with an exploration of Zumthor’s most monumental undertaking: the newly opened, $724 million David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). This colossal structure, commissioned nearly two decades ago, stands as the architect’s largest building, demonstrating the vast scope and enduring impact of his vision.
Zumthor’s philosophy, as articulated by Wenders, centers on an unwavering commitment to purpose and site. The architect maintains a relatively small office, allowing him to selectively undertake projects that resonate with his convictions regarding necessity, usefulness, and the specific geographic conditions of a location. He insists on a thorough involvement that often transcends conventional architectural timelines, prioritizing the iterative development of a building over strict adherence to initial plans. This approach, which Wenders deeply identifies with, champions the freedom to evolve and refine a creative work during its actual making, much like a painter or songwriter.
The Necessity of 3D: Immersing Viewers in Space
A distinctive aspect of "From Inside Out" is its utilization of 3D cinematography, a medium Wenders first employed for his acclaimed dance film Pina. For Wenders, 3D was not merely a technological enhancement but a fundamental requirement to authentically portray the spatial essence of architecture. He argues that traditional two-dimensional screens inherently limit the representation of space, reducing it to an illusion.
"Only the invention of digital 3D, native 3D, has made the screen go away and become a window, open to infinity and also to things taking place in front of the window," Wenders explained. He views architecture, alongside dance and theater, as an art form unthinkable without space. The experience of a room or a house is deeply existential, tied to fundamental human needs for shelter, protection, and security. By employing 3D, Wenders aimed to transcend mere visual representation, allowing audiences to almost physically enter and experience Zumthor’s environments, thereby transforming the cinematic experience into a spatial one. This marks Wenders’ tenth 3D film, underscoring his belief in its power as a cinematic language, particularly for subjects rooted in spatiality.
A Multifaceted Approach to Architectural Storytelling
Wenders deliberately steered clear of a conventional "talking heads" documentary format, opting instead for a more experiential and artistic approach to showcase Zumthor’s work. The film encourages audiences to "experience architecture without having to verbalize the issues all the time," allowing the buildings themselves to communicate their intrinsic qualities. To achieve this, Wenders integrated diverse artistic collaborations and narrative techniques.
The film features intimate glimpses, such as interviews with the Zumthor family regarding the Luzi House. Other segments incorporate voice-over commentary from artists and thinkers, and some buildings serve as stages for dance or musical performances. For instance, author Siri Hustvedt contributes to the chapter on the Steilneset Memorial, a structure built in memory of women accused of witchcraft, her personal reflections adding layers of meaning. Japanese dancer Aoi Yamada, singer-songwriter Sophie Hunger, and double bassist Anna Trauffer also lend their artistic interpretations, interacting directly with Zumthor’s spaces. Sophie Hunger, for example, composed a song, "From Inside to Outside," for the film’s exploration of the Beyeler Foundation’s Wyss Building, which ultimately mirrored the documentary’s title. The musical score itself is a collaboration between Zumthor’s son, percussionist Peter Conradin Zumthor, pianist Vera Kappeler, and Wenders’ long-time composer Laurent Petitgand, each contributing distinct sonic textures that complement the architectural themes.
Filmmaking and Architecture: A Shared "Sense of Place"
Wenders draws profound parallels between his craft as a filmmaker and Zumthor’s work as an architect. He describes filmmaking as a process of constructing a movie from "pieces of time," where each shot acts as a "brick of time," and each scene forms a "room" or "space." The entire film, he posits, becomes a vast "building" or "space" inviting audiences to inhabit it for a few hours. This analogy highlights a shared dedication to creation and structure.
Fundamentally, Wenders and Zumthor share an abiding passion for "places." For Zumthor, every building is deeply rooted in its specific site, considering its history, natural surroundings, weather, and neighbors. He strives for his creations to belong, "as if it had always been there," transcending mere function to achieve a harmonious relationship with their environment. This meticulous engagement with a site demands "a sense of place," a primordial human faculty often overlooked in the modern age. Wenders similarly grounds his films in places, often starting with an emotional response to a location, then discovering a story that could only unfold there. His films, he notes, invariably "take place" at these crossroads where a specific location and its inherent story converge.
Zumthor’s Timeless Message in the Age of AI
In an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, Wenders posits that Peter Zumthor’s architectural method offers invaluable lessons. Zumthor’s buildings are profoundly human-centric, emerging from an extensive dialogue between the site, its surroundings, and the building’s intended purpose. His "inside-out" approach involves a continuous cycle of conception, external consideration, internal perspective, and correction, a process that relies heavily on collaboration, countless physical models, and ample time for growth and development. Wenders likens it to a "gardening process," where buildings "grow" and "assume more character," ultimately asserting unique identities.
This painstaking, hands-on methodology results in structures of unparalleled originality, such as the Steilneset Memorial in the Arctic or the LACMA David Geffen Galleries, which Wenders declares are unlike any other buildings on the planet. Zumthor’s work, therefore, serves as a powerful reminder of what architecture can achieve in expanding human understanding of spaces and places. Wenders emphasizes the critical message embedded in the film: "learn to see the beauty of things made by hand, by craftspeople! We must not lose that!" He suggests that while AI may eventually learn to design, it cannot replicate the human touch, or as musician Nick Cave famously remarked, "AI can’t suffer."
Beyond Biography: An Exploration of Architectural Experience
Wenders made a deliberate choice to avoid crafting a traditional biopic focused on Zumthor’s personal history or psychological makeup. Instead, "From Inside Out" aims to explore how architectural ideas take shape and connect with the audience’s own curiosity and feelings about the spaces they inhabit. The film posits that people often take architecture for granted, despite living, working, and dying within its structures.
Zumthor serves as an ideal guide for this re-examination, prompting viewers to consider from scratch how houses influence and form human beings. The documentary seeks to expand horizons without being overtly educational, instead fostering a deeper appreciation for the profound impact of designed spaces on human existence and well-being.
Architecture, Privilege, and Hope in a Disrupted World
Wenders directly confronts the critique that Zumthor’s serene, contemplative spaces might represent a form of extreme privilege, seemingly detached from the harsh realities of global conflict and widespread destruction. He acknowledges the legitimacy of questions surrounding access to safety and peace in a world marked by the flattening of homes in places like Ukraine, Yemen, Lebanon, and Gaza.
However, Wenders argues that the destruction of buildings in these regions is fundamentally the destruction of "places" – sites of memory, belonging, and community. In this context, the question of what a truly human space can be becomes not less relevant, but "even more urgent." He asserts that Zumthor’s architecture delves into how spaces can offer shelter, protection, and foster a sense of belonging and community. While recognizing his own privileged position as a European filmmaker, Wenders maintains that art and architecture, though unable to undo suffering, can serve as a powerful response. They offer a gesture that opposes destruction and cynicism by presenting an alternative vision of how humanity might live together. Zumthor’s buildings, in Wenders’ view, speak a language of hope, advocating for a better version of humanity. He cites the Kolumba Museum in Cologne as an example, capable of restoring a visitor’s spirit. The LACMA David Geffen Galleries, with its non-hierarchical presentation of global art, embodies the ideal of "one place for all – like our world should be." Wenders firmly believes that while "buildings cannot repair the world," they possess the transformative power to "change our idea of what the world could be."
The Enduring Takeaway
Ultimately, Wim Wenders hopes audiences depart from "From Inside Out" with a renewed sense of hope. He envisions the film instigating a deeper appreciation for architecture that distinguishes between the mundane and that which truly makes a difference. In a world grappling with myriad challenges, particularly regarding respect for nature, for others, and for fundamental human kindness and decency, Wenders suggests that visiting a "good place" – whether physically or through the immersive experience of his film – can work wonders. The documentary, he believes, can encourage viewers to recognize that "all of us can make a difference. All of us can care." By showcasing an architect who embodies this ethos, the film offers a powerful and encouraging message of human potential.
