polis: a collective blog about cities worldwide

Manhattan Moves to Mars

by Rebecka Gordan



What if we had to move away from Earth? When conflicts and climate change grow unmanageable perhaps we can go to Mars? But could we then bring our friends, our band, our favorite buildings? In his brilliant short film, "Plan of the City," New York-based filmmaker and artist Joshua Frankel gives this dream a try. The film will soon screen at Sweden’s architecture film festival, ArchFilmLund.



A dedicated team of architects, writers and cinephiles are organizing the festival, which will take place Oct. 5 to 2 in the southern city of Lund. The event will screen 22 new films — short, long, documentary and animated — over eight days. New York is the theme of the drama selections, including "Woody Allen: A Documentary," "Manhattan, Movies and Me," "My Brooklyn" and "How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Foster?"

The documentaries and short films focus on architecture, and this year’s main theme is cycling in the city. There will also be panel discussions about architecture and dance, along with a screening of the drama "Pina" and the short film "Mao's Last Dancer." The program includes architecture-related poetry readings and talks with architects, journalists and filmmakers exploring the contemporary and historical connections between architecture and film.

+ share