On 19 October, 19:00, as part of the programme section devoted to urban research and architecture, ARCHITECT’S CUT, Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF, 17-27 October) will present the documentary film Life, Assembled. The screening, hosted in partnership with the Latvian Association of Architects, at the Ziedonis Hall of the National Library of Latvia, will also feature the director and architect Élodie Degavre. Her intricate documentary focuses on the ideals of 1970s Belgian architecture – utopian ideas on ending the housing crisis. Tickets to the screening are available on the festival website (rigaiff.lv), and at Biļešu Serviss sales points.

The documentary, set to a playful jazz score, is a story about dreamers, self-appointed visionaries. The politically-optimistic actions of the Belgian architects in the 1970s challenged the views on future heritage, placing the human at the central axis of architecture. By signaling the future and the trinity of ideas – economical, elegant, and current – they created experimental, modern, and accessible housing communities in Brussels, Liège, and Charleroi, thus causing a stir in the conservative architecture circles. 50 years after the utopian ideas were brought to life, the Brussels based architect, photographer, and film director Élodie Degavre meets their creators – architect and researcher Jean Englebert, steel visionary Paul Petit, and pioneers of architecture of participation, Lucien and Simone Kroll.

“The film, widely screened on the festival circuit, is a delicate journey in time and a testament to the ever-present question posed by architects – how will we live tomorrow? It also delves into the very topical question of housing accessibility and focuses on such themes as sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusivity, which are discussed today in the context of the new European Bauhaus. We are very pleased not only by the fact that the film has found its way to the Latvian audiences, but also that the director will participate in the events of the annual Latvian Architecture Award by giving a talk and serving as a jury member,”

emphasizes Artūrs Lapiņš, chairman of the board of the Latvian Association of Architects.

Employing the technique “to know the future, return to the past”, Degavre looks back at a little known chapter of Belgian architecture history – ideals of the 1970s, born of the student protests in France, aka May ’68. By mixing stories of personal memories with archival footage and interviews with the fascinating Belgian architects, the film, acclaimed by both film critics and architects, is a timeless documentary homage to formal experimentation and bold pioneers of postmodern ideas.

The special screening of the documentary portrait Life, Assembled, accompanied by the director Élodie Degavre, will take place on 19 October, 19:00, at the National Library of Latvia, followed by a talk with the author. The screening, hosted in partnership with the Latvian Association of Architects and the National Library of Latvia, will be part of the Architecture Week programme. Tickets are available on the festival website (rigaiff.lv), and at Biļešu Serviss sales points.

From 17 to 27 October, RIGA IFF will delight the senses of filmgoers with more than 100 screenings of bold and fresh filmmaker visions, selected from the world’s most prestigious film festival programmes, as well as from the kindred Baltic Sea region cinema. Until the full festival programme announcement on 17 September, RIGA IFF will continue to reveal other highly artistic works of this year’s programme – films awarded at Rotterdam, Berlin, Cannes, Venice, and other film festivals, as well as bold hidden gems of contemporary cinema. Follow festival updates on rigaiff.lv and festival social media accounts, as well as by subscribing to RIGA IFF newsletter.

RIGA IFF’s main partner is the media and technology company Tet. The festival is made possible with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation, EU programme “Creative Europe – MEDIA”, Riga City Council, and the National Film Centre of Latvia.