Alvar Aalto / Alvar Aalto. A Finnish Architect

Aalto Experimental House in Muuratsalo.

FI 1972. Commissioned by: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. P+D+DP: Eino Ruutsalo - colour. SC: Tatu Tuohikorpi, Juha Tanttu, Eino Ruutsalo. [Credited in Elonet: The commentary written by: Pekka Suhonen. There is no commentary in the film viewed. Might there be several versions?] M: Erik Bergman: "Aubade", "Energien", "Exultate". Architect Elissa Aalto has worked with Alvar Aalto since 1952. Art Museum Aalborg in co-operation with Jean-Jacques Baruel. In co-operation with The Museum of Finnish Architecture. Feat: Alvar Aalto, Elissa Aalto, Maire Gullichsen. Shot in the summer 1972 at the Aalto Experimental House in Muuratsalo. VET A-21601 - 534 m / 19 min. Viewed on dvd at home, 26 Jan 2014

A portrait and a vision of Alvar Aalto by the experimental artist Eino Ruutsalo, without commentary, without captions. We do not always know in which building we are wandering. The film is a general view of the concept of space in the world of Alvar Aalto.

The synopsis at Elonet refers to Alvar Aalto speaking and a commentary written by Pekka Suhonen. But in this version the soundtrack consists of the music by Erik Bergman only, with no commentary or spoken remarks at all.

The cinematography by Eino Ruutsalo is inspired with backward dolly shots, expressive close-ups, and some interesting shots with a handheld camera.

The film starts with stills montages of Aalto sketches - designs - and photographs. Then it turns into the moving camera mode, and ends with a sequence dedicated to the Finlandia Hall.

Roughest notes: - A montage of Alvar Aalto sketches - a montage of Alvar Aalto plans and designs - a montage of photographs of Alvar Aalto buildings - rapid dolly shots backwards inside Alvar Aalto buildings - montages of close-ups inside Alvar Aalto buildings - dolly forward outside Alvar Aalto buildings - the pool - the reflections - the Aalto vases - in the water or nearby - water and the vases - extreme close-ups - sailing on the sea - factory footage - industrialism - montages of Aalto buildings, shot for this film on an alert, mobile camera - Alvar and Elissa Aalto in front of the experimental house - the House of Culture - Kolmen ristin kirkko - expressive details and close-ups - the church interior - the organ - elegant camera movements in the interiors - Jyväskylä Campus - handheld camera recording the students - great sunlit windows to the restaurant -Seinäjoki - camera dollies backwards - people inside the interiors - sunlight flooding into another restaurant - smoking - a roaming camera exploring the interiors of Aalto buildings, recording the movements of the people -
Alvar Aalto taking a walk, his sculptural profile, the slow steps of the grand old man - Nemo propheta in patria - Seinäjoki - Lakeuden risti - expressive camera angles from tall Aalto buildings, low angle shots - no commentary, no captions to identify buildings - a high aerial shot - an Alvar Aalto total view - Alvar and Elissa Aalto sailing on their motorboat - Enso Gutzeit sugarcube angles - Helsinki city center plan - Finlandia Hall - Aalto peeking from above to the foyer of Finlandia Hall - a symphony orchestra about to begin at Finlandia Hall - a montage of expressive details - towards abstraction.