Documentary Focuses On Women In Architecture

It’s no secret that men have traditionally dominated the field of architecture—the question now is whether that is any longer the case.

A documentary called “Making Space: 5 Women Changing the Face of Architecture,” which seeks an answer to that question, will have its Long Island premiere at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill on Friday, November 28.

The film explores the work of five architects—Annabelle Selldorf of New York, Marianne McKenna of Toronto, Kathryn Gustafson of Seattle and London, Farshid Moussavi of London, and Odile Decq of Paris—as well as how they have navigated a historically male profession, what their creative processes are, and whether gender does in fact play a role in contemporary architecture.

Directed by Ultan Guilfoyle, the documentary was selected for inclusion in this year’s Architecture and Design Film Festival in New York. It features interviews with the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and architecture critic Paul Goldberger and the Serpentine Gallery curator Hans Ulrich Obrist of London, among others. It was produced by Alice Shure and Janice Stanton—who will be on hand at the premiere at the Parrish to discuss their film and answer questions from the audience.

Ms. Shure’s first documentary focused on the architecture of Gwathmey Siegel, whose architectural work is well represented on the East End. Another film, about the artist Ross Bleckner, who until recently had a house in Sagaponack, was screened at Guild Hall in East Hampton as well as at festivals across the United States.

Ms. Stanton’s experience spans documentary and fine art photography, arts administration, and intellectual property law, according to the Parrish. Together the two women founded Amici Productions, whose documentaries about contemporary artists and social issues were launched with “Grace Hartigan/Shattering Boundaries,” a film about the late abstract expressionist that was distributed nationwide.

The November 28 event at the Parrish starts at 6 p.m. The screening is free for Parrish Art Museum members, children and students, and $10 for everyone else, which also covers admission to the museum.