A Chronicle of a Colossal Building
Year 2026. That is the deadline set for finishing the Sagrada Família, one of Antoni Gaudi's most emblematic buildings. Thanks to an elaborate work plan and the use of cutting edge technology, visitors are due to see the completed cathedral within the next decade.
This documentary provides an overview of the history of the Sagrada Família, from the very start of construction to the halting of work during the Spanish Civil war; following that, the eventual recovery of the grand architect's original scale models and drawings; and now to the application of today's advanced technology. The work plan put into effect has served to vastly speed up completion of the project and is, in and of itself, one of the most surprising aspects of the documentary: carefully selected and labeled stones, sculpted and tested in a workshop before their final placement.
It is an impressive construction process that, nonetheless, has not escaped ongoing controversy among many sectors in the City of Barcelona.
"Sagrada Família: Countdown" also offers the audience aerial views─both interior and exterior─of the church; a look at the play of light as seen through its spectacular windows; and the additional surprise of a hitherto unreleased fragment of a film dating from 1925 in which we see architect Antoni Gaudí among guests at a wedding celebration.
This documentary provides a full and not-to-be-missed picture of one of the great jewels of world-renowned architecture.
