148. The Promise. Architect B.V. Doshi with Jan Schmidt-Garre

Dec 14

Dec 14 148. The Promise. Architect B.V. Doshi with Jan Schmidt-Garre

Today we are joined by Jan Schmidt-Garre, who directed the film The Promise. Architect B.V. Doshi which was shown at the ADFF (Architecture Design Film Festival). This film took place in the last few years of his life and highlighted his philosophies and outlook on architecture and design.

Timestamp Outline

2:01 ADFF – Architecture Design Film Festival

2:11 B.V. Doshi

2:54 How did you end up making a film about Doshi?
“Why haven’t I done anything on architecture even though I’m so interested in architecture?” JSG

4:35 What is your practice about? Why do you only work in the artistic disciplines? What is your quest as a filmmaker?

5:22 What does it mean to stage operas?
What it means to direct operas versus shooting films

6:53 The Promise. Architect B.V. Doshi
What was the promise?

8:05 B.V. Doshi Aranya

8:34 What was it like working with Doshi and taking care of Doshi?

12:39 Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association

13:05 Hitchcock “the director is God”
Conversation about “God is the director” for documentaries
“You have to live and work with what you get by accident, but you can also manipulate it a bit.” JSG

13:28 Doshi’s early project that he could not find
“Nature had conquered it back. It was a nice symbol that also fits with his philosophy” JSG

15:26 Doshi: how does the human live there and how does he experience the architecture?

16:32 CEPT Camus School of Architecture - Doshi

18:26 Sangath Office - Doshi

19:33 Architecture as storytelling; the Sangath Office story being misguided was intended by him to create the story

20:25 Indian Institute of Management (IIM) - Doshi
All possibilities of movement through space, and the ambiguity of in-between spaces

21:07 The similar stories of Sangath and IIM: conversation about how the story was being created through architecture, but also the intention behind the designs to create stories

22:29 Le Corbusier – starting and ending with Corbusier?
Corbusier is always watching over me

24:01 Louis Kahn

26:07 What did you take away from architecture from the making of this film?

31:20 Did Doshi talk about the “spiritual quest” and the inexpressible in his work?
“The spiritualization of nature” – Doshi
The spiritual quest for the unknown

32:56 Conversation about the difficult duality of spiritualizing, aestheticizing, ethicizing matter while also thinking of architecture as a pragmatic service and people-oriented service while also making money. Also, a duality with movies and filmmaking with the process of shooting, producing, editing, opening night, how the movie progresses over time, etc.
“This ideal of perfection is transforming in the process” JSG

36:31 My Architect – Nathaniel Kahn

37:31 Moving ahead, do you plan on making more films about architecture?
Chess in Slums

39:39 What are you hoping will be the impact of this film? What is your aspiration for the film in the world?