General Information

Synopsis

This film is a cinematic meditation about the untold story of Erich Mendelsohn whose life and career were as enigmatic and tragic as the path of the century.

He drew sketches on tiny pieces of paper and sent them, from the trenches, to a young cellist , who was waiting for him in Berlin. She thought he was a genius and after WW1 she helped him become the busiest architect in Germany. When she planned to leave him, for a communist poet, he built a perfect house for her, entirely planned by him, from the lakeview living room, to the silver-wear and her evening-gowns. When the Nazis came to power, they escaped the house and Germany forever. Erich and Louise Mendelsohn have wondered between continents, between world wars, between success and failure. The buildings that Erich built around the world, scattered as a trail of their journey, have changed the history of architecture.

Award-winning filmmaker, Duki Dror (The Journey of Vaan Nguyen, Raging Dove) has created a spectacular interpretation based on Erich and Louise's relationship, for one of the most captivating chapters in the development of modern art.

Article from "GALO- Global Art Laid Out" by Ross Ufberg

Review from the "New York Jewish Week" by George Robinson 

Review from the "F^2- Film-Forward" by Nora Lee Mandel

Awards & Festivals

Awards

Honarable Mention at the Jerusalem International Film Festival 2011

Upcoming Festivals:

Potsdam, Germany, Film Museum Potsdam, June 2012

Berlin Jewish Film Festival, June 2012

Architecture and Design Film Festival, April 2012

Documentary Edge Film Festival New Zealand, April 2012

Denver Jewish Film Festival, March 2012

San Diego Jewish Film Festival

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, February 2012

Festivals:

New York Jewish Film Festival, January 2012

Guangzhou 2011 International Documentary Film Festival, December 2011

Washington Jewish Film Festival, December 2011

Vancouver Jewish Film Festival, November 2011

Saint Louis International Film Festival, November 2011

Weitzmann Institute, Rehovot Israel, October 2011

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, July 2011

Jerusalem International Film Festival, July 2011

Quotes:

"What makes "Incessant Visions" so wonderful is that it's not just a film about Erich Mendelsohn's work, it's about his life, his marriage and his passion. The film beautifully renders a picture of the icon's brilliance and his personality. This remarkable documentary receives my first five-star review." Cameron McAllister, www.reelga.com (read more)

In this creative homage, Dror illuminates the life of German Jewish Expessionist architect Erich Mendelsohn. The visionary Mendelsohn, a contemporary of Walter Gropius and influenced by artists such as Franz Marc and the Blue Rider group, produced work embodying a kind of organic dynamism. His story unfolds through letters exchanged with his wife, Luise, an accomplished cellist. Dror gently breathes life into the correspondence of two passionate artists who helped each other weather a turbulent time in history. Mendelsohn’s career followed the jagged trajectory of many German Jewish émigrés fleeing Nazism; he worked in England, Israel and, finally, the Bay Area, where he taught at UC Berkeley. Mendelsohn’s drawings pulsate with energy and his buildings are stunning. Among his accomplishments, he designed the Einstein Tower, Schocken department stores and the Universum Cinema in Germany; the Mt. Scopus Campus of Hadassah Hospital and the Weitzman House in Israel; and private homes and a hospital in the Bay Area. Dror deftly juxtaposes the architect’s original designs with contemporary images, weaving in reflections from Mendelsohn’s granddaughter, other architects and the people who use these unique structures today—a testament to the integrity and timelessness of visionary design. Nancy Fishman, for the SFJFF

"Incessant Visions," both the title of the movie and a profound condition of Mendelsohn's existence, is an affecting and telling documentary, a story of bravery, genius, infidelity, triumphs and tragedy...The film provides a sweeping look at many other Mendelsohn buildings standing and lost. Filmed through a sheer veil of melancholy, it accomplishes what art is meant to, and that is to touch our souls and animate our intellects, while revealing to us worlds that for good and ill surround us and exist as well within ourselves. Robert W. Duffy, Beacon Associate Editor (read more)

Credits:

 Director and Editor: Duki Dror
Script: Galia Engelmayer-Dror and Duki Dror
Cinematographer: Philippe Bellaiche
Original Music: Frank Ilfman
Sound design: Itzik Cohen
Picture design: Aahron Peer
Voice Over artists: Seann Shaffer and Debbie Irwin
Producer: Yael Shavit and Duki Dror

Pictures