TESTIMONIALS
“Congratulations on a very inspiring film! Schindler was a poet of space—an
elusive dimension which this film captures. I hope you will continue to make films on architecture like this one, a gift to future generations!” Steven Holl, Architect
"In Schindler Space Architect, director Valentina Ganeva draws on a rich archival material, cinematography and interviews to vividly tell the story of Schindler's ideas, life, loves, and his complicated relationship with LA's other founding Austrian Modernist, Richard Neutra. Fascinating." Frances Anderton, Writer
“It was so engrossing, and led me to feel much more deeply the near tragic lack
of recognition and understanding Schindler had to bear in his life... Meryl’s
narration really added to my feeling for the man. I felt the story so deeply. I
hope the work is widely seen and much praised and honored. You’ve made a
wonderful thing and survived the terrible rigors of research, licensing,
annotating, permissions and the like. I salute you! ” Holland Taylor, Actress
"Valentina Ganeva’s new documentary on R. M. Schindler turns basic assumptions about the birth of Modern architecture upside down. Besides providing a thorough panorama of his architectural career, her film lays out an entirely new (and more accurate) way of understanding the impact of California on the development of Modern architecture. While many critics over the last hundred years (notably excepting Esther McCoy) were mostly blind to Schindler’s real significance, Ganeva’s excellent film turns the spotlight back on Schindler to give him the attention he deserves." Alan Hess, Architect and Historian
Adam Rubin, Moderator and Valentina Ganeva, Director at ADFF, Chicago, Jan. 29th 2025. photographs by Anna Munzesheimer
Meryl Streep and Valentina Ganeva recording the narration for the film in New York, Oct. 17, 2022
"Although long familiar to cognoscenti of Los Angeles architectural history, Rudolph Schindler's masterful buildings remain scandalously unknown and undervalued beyond the city in which he lived and worked.This beautifully filmed and deftly written documentary, the product of stunning research and passionate commitment, reveals the virtuosity of the architect through his words, the testimony of those who knew him, and the voices of contemporary practitioners who draw inspiration from his vision of architecture as an artistic and social project and a frame for living life to its fullest. In a darkening age, Schindler’s radiant optimism has never seemed more precious. Schindler Space Architect is a cinematic big bang that will transmit the energy of his exemplary career and inexhaustible legacy to a world where their lessons are more necessary than ever.” Edward Dimenberg, Prof. of Humanities University of California, Irvine
“While Schindler Space Architect is deeply researched and contextualizes R.M. Schindler's significance within the thread of residential architecture, perhaps most notable is the film’s cinematography. Unlike many architectural documentaries, Schindler Space Architect actually gives viewers a sense of what it’s like to experience the spaces themselves. It wonderfully captures the atmosphere and spatial complexity of Schindler's houses, allowing those of us outside of Southern California to better understand what exactly makes them so special.” Will Kitchens, Content Development Lead KPMB Architects
"The jury awards a special mention to the film for its exceptionally subtle, multilayered, and visually precise reconstruction of the life of one of the most important yet often overlooked architects of modern architecture in the 20th century. The director skillfully weaves together architectural analysis, cultural history, and a poetic cinematic expression, creating a portrait of Rudolph Schindler that transcends the biographical frame and becomes a contemplative journey into the very essence of his ‘spatial’ philosophy – thus opening a field for understanding architecture as an intimate experience, not merely an aesthetic artifact.
During the deliberation, the jury particularly emphasized the film’s masterful balance between archival footage and ‘testimonies’ of Schindler’s mentors, rivals, and idols, such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra, as well as reflections by contemporary, world-renowned architects including Frank Gehry, Thom Mayne, and Steven Holl. Through carefully composed shots, rhythmic editing, thoughtful use of light and space, and the evocative narration of Meryl Streep, the film successfully conveys the message of Schindler’s uniqueness and courage – to find his own world and distinctive style, and to remain true to it until his very last project, in an era dominated by Le Corbusier’s modernism." From the Jury of DA2 - Zagreb Design, Art and Architecture Film Festival: Denise Zmekhol (film director), Alemka Lisinski (journalist and editor) and Alen Žunić (architect).
