Sagrada: The Mystery of Creation

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One of the most iconic structures ever conceived, Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia is an ambitious and astonishing architectural project first imagined by the controversial genius Antoni Gaudi in the late 19th century. The documentary Sagrada: The Mystery of Creation celebrates Gaudi's vision while exploring the continuing work of the thousands of artisans, laborers, and designers as they strive to complete the colossal basilica. More than 125 years after construction began, La Sagrada Familia remains unfinished. Despite this, it has been admired by art historians for decades. Art critic Rainer Zerbst said "it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art" and Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Goldberger called it "the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages." Escaping the hustle and bustle of Barcelona, the film settles into the quiet ambiance of the basilica, peering into its nooks and crannies and listening to those who have devoted their lives to work on it. This unhurried, meticulous investigation allows the audience time to observe, perceive, and reflect upon the historical and spiritual significance of this glorious landmark while gaining deep in into the ongoing process of artistic creation. Review ------ "A peaceful and gently stirring documentary that considers faith and architecture and human achievement in something like geologic time. Director Stefan Haupt persuades viewers to surrender to a place, to a vision, and to a scale of thinking beyond our own lives." --Alan Scherstuhl, The Village Voice "Vividly informative... loving, comprehensive." --David Noh, Film Journal International "The film accomplishes something sublime: by examining what goes into the construction of such a massive, multigenerational project it does nothing less than show the human desire to serve, to pick up where others left off, to contribute to something larger than themselves, to leave something for others to carry forward." --David Licata, Extra Criticum