THE POWER OF UTOPIA
Living with Le Corbusier in Chandigarh
STREAMING SWITZERLAND
Shortly after the Partition of India and liberation from British colonial rule, a new capital for the Punjab was to be built from scratch at the foot of the Himalayas, with the former capital of Lahore having become part of Pakistan. The planned city of Chandigarh would stand for the new democracy, progress and faith in the future. Architects from the West were called upon – first Albert Mayer, and then the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. Plans, visions and utopias came together. For Le Corbusier, Chandigarh offered a unique opportunity to complete his life’s work and put his urban planning ideas into practice. His vision was to create a modern, humane and just city, built according to the “measure of man”, which allowed for a cultural life and harmonious interaction between people and nature.
On the 70th anniversary of Le Corbusier’s planned city, we reflect on whether this vision has become a reality in Chandigarh. The film accompanies people on their journeys through the city, seeking out settings and scenes that reveal the inspiring interplay of old dreams and new life, the utopian and the everyday, decay and quiet poetry. A contemporary witness recalls the early days of the city. The director of the Le Corbusier Centre, an artist, an actor and an architect all talk about the experience of settling here, and contemplate their life in and with Chandigarh. We meet residents who offer an insight into the city as we roam and immerse ourselves in the everyday life that has evolved around the built environment.
SYNOPSIS
TRAILER
CINEMA SCHEDULE 2024
AUSTRIA
Film & Talk
Architekturforum Oberösterreich im Moviemento Linz Di 2. April 19:00 Uhr
Leokino Innsbruck Sonntag 7. April 20:00 Q/A mit dem Regieteam
Vorarlberger Architektur Institut im Spielboden Dornbirn Montag 8. April 20:00 Uhr Q/A mit dem Regieteam
Architekturhaus Kärtnen im Volkskino Klagenfurt Mo 8. April 20:00 Uhr
From 4 April in the following cinemas
Filmgalerie Krems (24. & 26.04. – in Kooperation mit ORTE)
Stadtkino Bruck/Mur (09.04.)
https://www.realfictionfilme.de/kraft-der-utopie-leben-mit-le-corbusier-in-chandigarh.html
City Cinema Date
Aalen Kino am Kocher 24.04.24
Augsburg Thalia 04.03.24
Berlin Bali ab 22.02.24
Berlin Klick Kino ab 22.02.24
Berlin Sputnik ab 22.02.24
Berlin filmkunst 66 ab 22.02.24
Berlin fsk kino ab 22.02.24
Bochum Casablanca ab 22.02.24
Bonn Rex ab 22.02.24
Braunschweig Universum 04.03. + 10.03.24
Bremen City 46 22.02. – 06.03.24
Brühl Zoom 26.01.24
Cottbus Obenkino 11.04.-17.04.2024
Dortmund Sweetsixteen 30.01.24
Dortmund Sweetsixteen ab 22.02.24
Dresden Programmkino Ost ab 22.02.24
Dresden Zentralkino ab 22.02.24
Duisburg filmforum 27.01.24
Düsseldorf Metropol 04.02.24
Düsseldorf Metropol ab 22.02.24
Erlangen Lamm-Lichtspieke 03. – 05.03.24
Essen Filmstudio 25. – 27.01.24
Esslingen Koki 20.02. + 27.02.24
Frankfurt Mal Seh`n Kino 25.02.24
Freiburg Friedrichsbau ab 22.02.24
Freiburg Harmonie 05.02.24
Gauting Breitwand ab 22.02.24
Göppiingen Staufen Kino ab 22.02.24.04.-17.04.2024
Hamburg Abaton 08.05.24
Hannover Kinos am Raschplatz ab 22.02.24
Ingoldstadt Union 04.03.24
Karlsruhe Kinemathek 24. + 25.02.24
Karlsruhe Schauberg ab 29.02.24
Kassel Bali 10.03.24
Kiel Koki in der Pumpe 25. - 28.02.24
Köln Filmhaus ab 22.02.24
Köln Filmpalette ab 07.03.24
Köln Odeon ab 22.02.24
Leipzig Passage Kinos ab 22.02.24
Lich Traumstern ab 21.03.24
Ludwigsburg Luna ab 22.02.24
Lüneburg Scala 25.02. + 10.03. + 24.03.24 Matinee
Mannheim Odeon ab 22.02.24
München Maxim ab 22.02.24
München Monopol 14.02.24
Münster Cinema 04.02.24
Münster Schlosstheater ab 22.02.24
Nürnberg Filmhaus ab 22.02.24
Oldenburg Casablanca 22.04.24
Osnarbrück Cinema Arthouse 07.04.24
Paderborn Cineplex 23.04.24
Ratzburg Burgtheater 05.03.24
Regensburg Kinos im Andreasstadel 22.02.24
Seefeld Breitwand ab 29.02.24
Starnberg Breitwand 05.03.24
Stuttgart Atelier im Bollwerk ab 22.02.24
Ulm Obscura ab 25.02.24
Wasserburg Kino Utopia ab 14.03.24
Weimar Lichthaus ab 22.02.24
Weiterstadt KoKi 19.04. - 22.04.24
Wiesbaden Caligari 01. + 06.03.24
REFLECTIONS ON THE FILM
Everything in Chandigarh is designed and planned, from the furniture to the street signs to the houses and their layout. And amazingly, the structures have barely changed to this day. The city’s first “foundation stone” was laid in the creation of Chandigarh’s lake – 70 years later, we take the chance to talk to the last remaining witnesses of these beginnings. As filmmakers, we’re interested in how the urban planning and social visions of modern architecture have become reality, and how they have developed over time. How the collaboration between East and West and the enormous creative power of the design has impacted the cultural life of the city. We explore Chandigarh’s at a time when the world is in turmoil and searching for new ideas. What can we learn from this utopia today for today’s world?
Le Corbusier is one of the most influential architects, artists and urban planners of the modern era, and his approach and ideas are still inspiring and groundbreaking today. His presence in the film is felt through quotations of his words. Chandigarh is relatively unknown in Switzerland, although the country’s 10-franc note bore Le Corbusier’s portrait until October 2017, with the Chandigarh Secretariat built in 1958 printed on the reverse.
A conscious decision was made not to address the Le Corbusier’s somewhat controversial personality and his life’s work as a whole in the film. Our interest lies in his utopias. Our aim is to counter the often capitalist motives of building development in Switzerland with the utopias of modernity.
In Chandigarh, the Western architecture of classical modernism with which we are familiar meets the Indian everyday life of the present. Making the film allowed us to immerse ourselves in a different culture and an unfamiliar reality – and audiences will now be able to do the same. This kind of encounter allows us to see the supposedly familiar in a new way. We look back to Europe from afar, and ask ourselves how we want to live as human beings in the future. We are interested in Chandigarh as a laboratory for a new way of living together.
FILM FESTIVALS
Venice Architecture Film Festival 2023
WINNER BEST FILM 2023
Architecture & Design Film Festival 2023
New York / Toronto / Vancouver / Chicago
Cinema LantarenVenster Rotterdam 2023
Film and Architecture Festival in Prag 2023
International Art Film Festival Birmingham 2023
59. Solothurn Film Festival 2024
ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN FILM FESTIVAL
WINNIPEG, CANADA
42. INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL DE FILM SUR L` ART MONTREAL / QUEBEC
TILBURG ARCHITECTUUR FILM FESTIVAL 2024
BEIRUT ART FILM FESTIVAL 2024
THE NORWEGIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM
FESTIVAL 2024 HAUGESUND
SEOUL INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE FILM FESTIVAL 2024
INTERNATIONAL ART FILM FESTIVAL TEL AVIV 2025
CINEMA
GAME DATES 2023 in Switzerland
Acquarossa, Blenio (out)
Ascona, Otello (out)
Aubonne, Rex (out)
Basel, Kult.Kino (out)
Bern, CineMovie 3 (out)
Biel, Lido 2 (out)
Brugg, Kino Odeon (out)
Chur, Kino Kinocenter (out)
Delémont, Cinémont 2 (out)
Düdingen, Kleinkino Kran (out)
Frauenfeld, Kino Luna (out)
Fribourg, REX 2 (out)
Frick, Cinema Monti (out)
Genève-Carouge, Bio Patricia Plattner (out)
Genève, Cinélux (out)
Heiden, Kino Rosental (out)
Ilanz, Cinema Sil Plaz (out)
Yverdon, Bel-Air (out)
Klosters, Cinema 89 (out)
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Scala 3 (out)
Lausanne, Zinéma (out)
Le Locle, CinéCasino (out)
Liestal, Kino Sputnik (out)
Locarno, Rialto (out)
Lugano, Iride (out)
Lucerne, Cinema Bourbaki(out)
Martigny, Cinerive (out)
Meiringen, Kino+ (out)
Mendrisio, Multisala 1908 (out)
Morges, Odeon (out)
Moutier, Cinoche (out)
Murten, Cinema Fire Brigade Magazine No.1(out)
Neuchâtel, Apollo 3 (out)
Orbe, Urba (out)
Olten, light displays in the Capitol (out)
Romanshorn, Kino Roxy (out)
Schaffhausen, Kiwi Scala cinema (out)
Schwyz, cinema Schwyz (out)
Sion, Cinemasion
Ste Croix, Royal(out)
Stein am Rhein, Kino Schwanen (out)
Solothurn, cinema Canva (out)
Tramelan, cinematographer(out)
Thusis, Rätia (out)
Uster, cinema Qutopia (out)
Vevey, Rex 2 (out)
Wattwil, Cinema Passerelle (out)
Wil, Cinewil (out)
Winterthur, Cinema Cameo (out)
Zug, Zug cinemas (out)
Zurich, lunch cinema Le Paris (out)
Zurich, Arthouse Movie(out)
CINEMA SPECIALS
Zurich,Lunch cinema Le Paris on Thu. Aug. 17 at 12:15 p.m., moderated by Marcy Goldberg
Lucerne, Kino Bourbaki on Thursday, August 17th at 8:20 p.m., moderated by Alan Mattli
Basel, kult.kino Matinée on Saturday, August 19th at 12:00 p.m., in partnership with SWB Basel
Chur, Kino Apollo on Monday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m., moderated by Paula Cadonau
Biel, Cinevital on Tuesday, August 22nd at 6:00 p.m., moderated by Ivo Knill
Bern, Kino Quinnie on Tuesday, August 22nd. at 8:15 p.m., moderated by Ivo Knill
Zurich, RiffRaff cinema on Wed. August 23rd at 8:30 p.mwith mezzanine specials
St. Gallen, Kinok on Thursday, August 24th at 8:00 p.m., moderated by Jacqueline Kissling
Schaffhausen, Kiwi Scala on Friday, August 25th, 8:00 p.m., moderated by Christian Wäckerlin
Schwyz Film Day 2023, Hall Grün in the Schwyz cinema, Saturday, August 26th.
Solothurn, Kino Uferbau Matinée with Thomas Karrer on Sunday, August 27th at 11:00 o'clock
Wil, Cinewil on Tuesday, August 29th at 7:30 p.m., moderated by Noemi Schai
Uster, Kino Qutopia on Monday, September 4th at 6:00 p.m
Winterthur, Cinema CameoMatinee on Sun. September 10th at 11:00 a.m., moderated by Tanja Simeunovic
Friborg, Cinéma Rex 3 on September 21st at 6:15 p.m
Heathens, Kino Rosenthal on Friday, September 22nd at 7:00 p.m., moderated by Werner Binotto
Genève Carouge, cinema Bio on October 5th at 8:30 p.m
LaChaux-de-Fonts, the Scala cinemas on October 6th at 6:15 p.m
Neuchàtel, les cinémas de l’Apollo le 06. October at 8:15 p.m
Vevey, Cinema Astor on October 7th at 6:15 p.m
Sainte-Croix, Cinema Royal le 08. October at 11 a.m
M.AKING OF
Zurich, Le Corbusier Pavilion, “The Adventure of Making a Film in India”
Sat. Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m.with Karin Bucher, Thomas Karrer, Jürg Gasser, moderated by Mark Riklin
Memory, Sun Society“The adventure of making a film in India”
Thu. Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. with Karin Bucher, Thomas Karrer, moderated by Mark Riklin
