L’ESPACE DU MONTAGE

"We consider that one of the major qualities of architectural constructions and ensembles is the harmonious movement of certain shapes into others, a sort of 'decanting' of one into the other." Eisenstein, Sergei (1994) Selected Works 2. Towards a theory of montage. Ed. by Nichael Glenny & Richard Taylor. London: British Film Institute; Montage and architecture, 58-81

Manfred Kirchheimer, director.

At the 23rd International Festival on Art, more than two hundred films were shown in the cinemas of Montreal, Canada. More than two hundred films which sum up the world's artistic productions and practices today were presented; this was also a chance for the directors to hold discussions with the public. In a society of mass production and information, this cultural event was a sign of the rich diversity of cultural expressions which often goes unnoticed.

In these circumstances, the New York director Manfred Kirchheimer, whose documentaries reflect an obvious association between architecture and cinema, explains the subject of cutting to us.

Architectural representation is involved in presenting a concept and may allow us to transliterate this into the form of a building, but this branch also has a real effect on the way we think about architecture. At present there are a multitude of means of representation, which can turn into modes of conception when they are pushed beyond their original use.

TALL: THE AMERICAN SKYSCRAPER AND LOUIS SULLIVAN is an 80-minute documentary which came out in 2004. It retraces the evolution of the American skyscraper, the symbol of the modern skyline.