The Dream of Perfection
Dir. John Weiley
THE DREAM OF PERFECTION is as extraordinary as its provocative subject matter, the dramatic story of the building of the Sydney Opera House, culminating in Utzons departure from the project. Director John Weiley was commissioned in 1968 to make the documentary Autopsy on a Dream by then BBC2 controller David Attenborough, and following its only screening on the BBC, it was destroyed literally chopped to pieces on the chopping block. Miraculously, a mute print of Autopsy on a Dream was rediscovered in a BBC vault this year, and has now been restored with sound saved by John Weiley, and with a new prologue. The film features interviews with David Attenborough, Jan Utzon, Lin Utzon, and Richard Neville.
50 Years Off-Grid:
Architect Charles Bello
Dir. Kirsten Dirksen
Producers: Fair Companies
Duration: 48 minutes
Language: English
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Architect Charles Bello, a student of Richard Neutra, is featured in this engaging film by Kirsten Dirksen, where Charles describes his journey and life over 50 years in the redwood forests of Northern California. A beautiful portrait of a remarkable renaissance man, architect, builder, sculptor, artist, and committed environmentalist.
Bello's foundation, The Redwood Forest Institute, is found here: http://savetrees.org/home.aspx
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"Charles Bello may not be a household name, but he has a cult following in certain circles. He came to my attention via a circuitous route that started with an e-mail from Raymond Neutra (yes, like Richard Neutra, the Modernist architect; Raymond is his son). Raymond had received my book, “Handcrafted Modern” (Rizzoli), and with his compliments he mentioned that one of his father’s former interns — Bello — might be of interest to me. This was a man who dropped out in the 1960s, bought 400 acres of redwoods in Northern California and, with the help of his wife, built a number of houses and structures by hand there, Raymond said. He attached one picture, of two people sitting in front of a wall of windows with a ridgeline of trees in the distance. I was sold."
Leslie Williamson (see her article here: https://www.lesliewilliamson.com/charles-bello/)
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