Bawa’s Garden is a road movie set in Sri Lanka in search of the work of the architect Geoffrey Bawa. Written as an essay travelogue that weaves history and fiction, the film explores the architectural documentary from a different perspective. Based on the Director's real-life encounters, it reflects the eclectic and quietly moving work of Bawa’s buildings and gardens, and the collaborators that influenced his oeuvre. It’s a journey to the heart of the island and the soul of what it is to be an architect and a filmmaker.
Dr. Clara Kraft Isono, is an award-winning filmmaker and US based architect and academic. Founder of Kraft Isono, a multidisciplinary design practice working in architecture, film and design, she shares her time between creative practice and academia. In 2018 Clara established Kraft Isono Films, an independent production company committed to making culturally significant films in the fields of arts and architecture. Her latest film 'Bawa’s Garden' (Kraft Isono Films, 2022) premiered in New York at the Architecture & Design Film Festival, (2022) and was nominated for Best Documentary and Cinematography at the Raindance Film Festival, London (2022). Her films have been screened at festivals across the world and enjoyed exclusive online distribution in the US, Europe and Asia. Using the architectural essay film as a form of feminist spatial practice, Clara is committed to bringing new voices and overlooked architectural histories to the screen from a female perspective.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Clara Kraft Isono and Meg McLagan.
Running time: 89 minutes