Jim Stephenson
“There’s some really great films out there that highlight big grand buildings and the famous names that designed them.
But in this list I wanted to focus on a gentler type of architecture of small projects, personal projects and projects by / for the community.
The films I’ve picked vary a great deal, but hopefully provide a window into the effect architecture can have beyond the glossy images we see in magazines.
I hope you enjoy them!"
Jim Stephenson is a film director and architectural photographer from the UK.
His company Stephenson& is a collaborative film production studio that specialises in documenting architecture:
the buildings, the people that design them, make and use them and the spaces in between the buildings.
His photos and films cover work by architects such as Zaha Hadid, Assemble, Herzog & de Meuron, dRMM, Frances Kéré, Peter Zumthor, Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, Sou Foujimoto and many more.
His work has appeared extensively in print and online in publications such as The Architects’ Journal, Dezeen, The New York Times, The Sunday Times, Architecture Today and Architectural Review; amongst others.
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SOMA
Named after the mind altering Soma plant referenced in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, this retreat in Byron Bay is a dream come true for a seasoned meditation teacher seeking an alternative to the bustle of Sydney.
Gary Gorrow taught meditation for many years with a goal of one day teaching ... -
Do More With Less
Do More With Less shows how young Latin American architects are bringing about a change in practice by offering a new understanding of the way the profession interacts with society. Rethinking the use of materials, academia, and the power of community and team work.
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Strange and Familiar
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Practice: Invisible Studio
Practice is a new series of architecture documentaries by critic and curator Laura Mark and photographer and film maker Jim Stephenson, that focus on the process of architecture, rather than the buildings architects complete.
Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio. Describing this episode, Laura Mark... -
How to Blow up a Bubble that Won't Burst - Trailer
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A Will For The Woods
What if our last act could be a gift to the planet? Determined that his final resting place will benefit the earth, musician, psychiatrist, and folk dancer Clark Wang prepares for his own green burial while battling lymphoma. The spirited Clark and his partner Jane, boldly facing his mortality, e...
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La buena vida: The Good Life
Jairo Fuentes is the young leader of the community of Tamaquito, a village in the forests of northern Colombia. Here, nature provides the people with everything they need to survive. For centuries, they’ve hunted in the mountains, foraged for fruit and reared hens, sheep and cattle. But the Wayúu...
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Life Off Grid
Life Off Grid is a two-year journey exploring the lives of Canadians in every province and territory who have made the choice to disconnect. Life Off Grid is a film about people who have chosen to build their lives around renewable energy, with beautiful, inspiring, and often challenging results.
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Body Fabric Surface
The Powerbarn uses mimetic strategy that takes cues from a military camouflage technique. The building offers mutable and faceted displays of itself that vary depending on the weather, time of day and season. Architect Giovanni Vaccarini guides the narration in the short film, by recounting the...
