| Since
the 1920s, Le Corbusier is considered
one of the greatest architects of his
time. But despite the influence of his
ideas, this self-taught genius had been
denied all the prestigious public projects
by the conservative decision makers
in France and in the United States.
It is Nehru's India, newly independent
and post-partition, which offered him
the chance of his life: the creation
of a new city, Chandigarh, for the Indian
Punjab which had lost it's traditional
capital Lahore to Pakistan. Thus between
1951 and 1965, in the last part of his
life, Le Corbusier built a series of
masterpieces in Chandigarh but also
in Ahmedabad, the then textile capital
of India. In Ahmedabad, in the villas
he designed for the industrial elite
of the city, the villa Sarabhai and
the villa Shodhan, he tested and perfected
the architectural elements he would
use in Chandigarh where apart from the
plan of the city, he also designed the
Capitol Complex containing the High
court, the Secretariat and the Assembly
building.
The films
tell the story of this adventure using
Le Corbusier's writings, letters to
his wife, mother, Indian clients, interviews
with the actors of the day both Indian
and French, as well as well known present
day International historians, critics
and architects. Rare documents, photographs,
drawings, even a newsreel, have been
put together with the images of the
most important buildings of Le Corbusier
in India. The first film talks about
Ahmedabad and Chandigarh and the
second tells the story of the Capitol
Complex.
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