Nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Academy Award, this HBO documentary follows Nathaniel Kahn as he tries to discover more about the father he never knew, the great architect Louis Kahn. Dying alone of a heart attack in a train station 25 years before, Louis Kahn was left unclaimed for days due to him mysteriously blacking out information on his passport. He was married, but not to Nathaniel's mother - she was one of numerous mistresses he had during his later years. The film takes Nathaniel on a journey where he interviews friends, family, and colleagues, as well as visiting some of his father's spectacular works.The father-son story of discovery has been done numerous times in cinema, to various degrees of success, but I've never experienced a film so personal. It is peppered with scenes of raw emotion, including a moving scene where Nathaniel reveals himself to be Louis' son to a man that knew :ouis well. Yet amongst all the emotion, the stand-out scenes are the sections where he visits his fathers works. The Salk Institute is simply an outstanding piece of art, and the film captures it beautifully in all its glory. Even though it is arguable that such a journey needs such a detailed account, I found the film slightly overlong, and I found my interest sliding at times. But this is a film that successfully explores the complexities of the man, whether you feel he was a philanderer, a tyrant, or a troubled genius, through the eyes of a son who wants to see good in and love his father. I have no doubt that Louis Kahn, were he still alive, would have been deeply moved.
Directed by: Nathaniel Kahn
Starring: Nathaniel Kahn, Louis Kahn
Country: USA
Rating: ***
Tom Gillespie
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