Wim Wenders’ 3D documentary “From Inside Out,” which has its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday, examines the work of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, paying particular attention to the design and construction of the David Geffen Galleries of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
In the film, the result of a 14-year collaboration with the architect, Zumthor explains how he approaches the design of his buildings so that they are in harmony with their surroundings and serve the people who will use them.
Wenders first came across Zumthor’s work when the architect took part in a competition for a gallery building in Berlin, opposite the Neues Museum. “It looked splendid but wasn’t built,” Wenders explains.
Variety submitted a series of questions to the director about the film, and publishes his written responses below:
What motivated you to make a film about him?
I have loved architecture since my childhood and always wanted to know more about the work of an architect. Zumthor seemed like an ideal partner, as his work is truly rethinking the very basis of what architecture is or can be.
Why did you choose to shoot it as a 3D film?
No visual language would be more suitable for architecture than 3D.
Can you speak about the role of the people in the film? Are they actors?
They are not “actors.” They are real people who visit the buildings by Peter Zumthor or live in them. They see these places, and the audience sees and experiences them through their eyes.
