Rotterdam 3011 XZ
The Netherlands
On May 17, 2021, Rotterdam-based architecture practice KAAN Architecten will introduce MINUTES, their original short film series, by launching a dedicated web platform for the project.
First floated as a concept in 2017, MINUTES is now a fully-fledged cinematic oeuvre consisting of 12 short films, each less than 10 minutes, directed by talented international filmmakers and portraying a selection of projects designed by KAAN Architecten.
MINUTES has already received audience acclaim during exclusive previews organized with Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam and the BARQ International Architecture Film Festival in Barcelona earlier this year. Brendan Cormier, the Senior Curator of Exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, who served as the host of the Rotterdam event titled “12 Ways to Film a Building,” describes the project:
“In an unprecedented effort to transcend traditional methods of architectural representation, KAAN Architecten has given filmmakers total creative freedom in the realization of films that profile the studio's works. The initiative was deliberately intended to be exploratory, as a probe for discovering what kind of stories, effects and impressions could be expressed through film; beyond a time limit, no other constraints were put on the filmmaker.
The result is a rich tapestry of interpretations, with each filmmaker taking a different approach. What distinguishes MINUTES from previous architectural films is a move beyond aesthetic contemplation and instead towards a layered approach that combines narrative, reference and symbolism. The buildings here are less the main subject of the film, and more of a collaborative cast member, opening up new possibilities for portraying how architecture interacts with the world.”
The MINUTES series currently consists of 12 short films, realized by international filmmakers such as the Argentine-Dutch director and audiovisual artist Jaime Levinas, American filmmaking collective Spirit of Space, South African prize-winning documentarist, camerawoman, and editor Benitha Vlok, the widely acclaimed Spanish director Joana Colomar, and so many more.
A crowning achievement of the four-year-long research and creative collaboration is the launch of the eponymous web platform MINUTES, where all 12 movies will be periodically released throughout the year and freely accessible worldwide.
To mark the launch, the movie Forensic by Dutch director Chris de Krijger will be made available for viewing as the first one in the series. Set in the Netherlands Forensic Institute in The Hague, Forensic links the architecture to the painstakingly meticulous research being performed within the building's walls. Following releases include Crafted by Benitha Vlok and Utopia by Joana Colomar in June and July 2021, respectively.
Visit MINUTES’ website to discover more information about directors, films and architectural projects. To keep up to date with all upcoming events, online lectures and film releases related to the series, subscribe to the newsletter.
Credits:
Participating directors: Joana Colomar, Mirte van Duppen, From Form, Chris de Krijger, Jaime Levinas, Romain Loiseau, Dorian de Rijk, Tristan Soreau, Spirit of Space, Giulio Squillacciotti, Miguel C. Tavares, Katja Verheul, Benitha Vlok
Project curator: Martina Margini, KAAN Architecten
Visual identity (opening sequences, branding, posters): From Form
Website graphic design: Samuel Gadea + Florian Casarin
Website web development: Julian Bidoret, Accent Grave
