Wenders' 14-Year Zumthor Doc Premieres at Venice — SkimNews
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- "From Inside Out" world-premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday as a 3D documentary examining architect Peter Zumthor's work, with particular focus on the design and construction of the David Geffen Galleries at LACMA.
- Wim Wenders spent 14 years collaborating with Zumthor on the film, shooting in his Swiss office and at building sites worldwide; Wenders said his approach mirrors Zumthor's belief that a building is "shaped only in its construction process."
- Brad Pitt joined as executive producer after being "an ardent defender of Zumthor's building, even in front of the City Council," and Wenders met him during the LACMA project's transition from proposal to construction.
- Zumthor approaches design "radically," spending more time on each building than peers and rejecting the idea that approved plans finish a project, Wenders said.
- Featured figures in the film include Ava DuVernay, Werner Herzog, Ever Anderson, Sophie Hunger, Tarek Atoui, and Aoi Yamada — described as real visitors or residents of Zumthor's buildings, not actors.
- Wenders first encountered Zumthor's work via a Berlin gallery competition opposite the Neues Museum that "looked splendid but wasn't built," before later making a short film on him for the 13th Architecture Biennale.
Why it matters: The film represents an unusually long documentary gestation — spanning 14 years and a major civic fight over LACMA's redesign — with Brad Pitt's executive-producer credit signaling institutional backing from a public figure who personally defended the project before the City Council.
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