A Camera Dancing About Architecture

Hiroshi Teshigahara’s Antonio Gaudí is one of the most sensual films ever made—and there are hardly any people in it. In this poetic documentary—available to stream for free this week on Hulu as part of our Cityscapes festival—the Japanese avant-gardist responsible for the 1960s art-film landmark Woman in the Dunes uses his camera to capture the bold lines, curves, textures, and colors of Gaudí’s fantastical architecture in Barcelona, Spain. Thanks to the expressive, mobile cinematography and the remarkable surfaces it limns, Antonio Gaudí is a joy to watch, first frame to last.

Among Gaudí’s most celebrated creations is his Casa Batlló. Located on the wide commercial avenue Passeig de Gràcia, in the heart of Barcelona, Batlló stands out even among its neighbors on the famous Block of Discord, which also has buildings by three other modernist architects. Its roof and facade boast multicolored, dragonlike scales. Its organic, ethereal interiors are just as astounding, as you can see in this clip.