Great Expectations (2007 film)

Great Expectations
Directed by	Jesper Wachtmeister
Written by	Jesper Wachtmeister
Produced by	Jonas Kellagher
Starring	Le Corbusier Oscar Niemeyer Peter Cook Buckminster Fuller Moshe Safdie Antti Lovag Superstudio Archigram Paolo Soleri Peter Vetsch Jacque Fresco
Cinematography	Simon Pramsten
Edited by	Jesper Wachtmeister
Music by	Silverbullit
Production companies	Solaris Filmproduktion Eight Millimetres AB Sveriges Television
Distributed by	DR International Sales Icarus Films Quantum Leap Artfilms
Release date	2007
Running time	52 min
Language	English

Great Expectations (a journey through the history of visionary architecture) is a 2007 documentary about the history of visionary architecture by director Jesper Wachtmeister. The film uses interviews to frame the history of utopian and visionary architecture through the 20th century. Subjects include Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer, Peter Cook, Buckminster Fuller, Moshe Safdie, Antti Lovag, Paolo Soleri, Peter Vetsch and Jacque Fresco.

Reception

Dagens Nyheter reviewer Tomas Lisinski wrote that "the astounding images of more or less bizarre projects were intertwined with a fantastic interview material. This was also a documentary that treated the viewer seriously. We were assumed capable of following a train of thought, and understanding interviews without meddlesome guidance.”(translated from Swedish)" Leonardo reviewer Michael R. Mosher wrote that "the architects articulate their visions, and the camera explores at least one of the major built accomplishments of each. Wachtmeister brings to his documentary a fun and light touch, with little bits of Monty Python-style animation, hand-colored photographs, even flying saucer noises. Archigram, and its London Pop Art-influenced publications, made him do it! Sometimes it’s as if the filmmaker really doesn’t put much stock in the promised completion of the Venus Project, but was happy to enjoy the trek in bejungled Florida alongside its talkative old planner Jacques Fresco.”"

External links

• Great Expectations (2007) at IMDb
• Great Expectations, a review by Michael R. Mosher at Leonardo (journal).
• Reality of Utopia, interview with the director Jesper Wachtmeister by Claes Sörstedt for Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam. (Dutch)
• The 30 Architecture Docs to Watch in 2013, Archdaily lists Great expectations as one of the 30 Architecture Docs to Watch in 2013.
• Great Expectations on Canvas, VRT, Canvas, VRT, broadcasts Great Expectations.
• Great Expectations at Docomomo, Australia, Great Expectations screened at Docomomo, Australia.
• Great Expectations at RIBA, Great Expectations screened at RIBA.