This lovely documentary tells the story of Nathaniel Kahn, the illegitimate son of the titan of modern architecture, Louis Kahn. If you enjoy contemporary art and architecture you'll love this film. Kahn died (dirt poor in a washroom at Penn Station in New York in 1974) leaving behind his wife (and daughter) plus two mistresses and two illegitimate children. Nathaniel interviews folks who knew and worked with his father, including Philip Johnson, Frank Gehry, and I.M. Pei.
The film is a story of a son trying to better understand and come to terms with a father he barely knew. It is genuine and moving. And, of course, outside the story of a son looking for his dad, you get to see the wonderful structures this artist-cum-architect built that changed the modern aesthetic: the Exeter Library; the National Assembly in Decca (shown below); and the silent, beautiful Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.
My rating 8 out of 10.
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