“Gaudí didn’t see it finished and I won’t, either,” says Jordi Bonet, identified in the film as the church’s chief architect (though now emeritus). Others interviewed include Etsuro Sotoo, a Japanese sculptor who converted to Roman Catholicism, which he suggests was a way of getting closer to Gaudí's ideas. The artist Josep Maria Subirachs designed a facade in a style that departs markedly from Gaudí's. The architect David Mackay, who died last month, says that the collaborative nature of the project means that the cathedral should be regarded as “an after-Gaudí.”
Employing bursts of Bach and English-language narration, this lulling, informative documentary never fully grapples with its topic’s complexity. (No one interviewed speaks disapprovingly of the building’s completion.) The movie is ideally viewed while waiting in line to see the church.
One of the most iconic structures ever built, Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia is a unique and fascinating architectural project conceived by Antoni Gaudi in the late 19th century. More than 125 years after construction began, the basilica still remains unfinished. Sagrada: The Mystery of Creation celebrates Gaudi's vision and the continuing work of architects as they strive to complete the colossal project while delving into the process of artistic creation in a historical context.
La Sagrada Familia was commissioned by the Order of St Joseph in 1882. After conflicts arose between the Order and the original architect, 31 year old Antoni Gaudí was hired to complete the design. A devout Catholic and architectural prodigy, Gaudí envisioned a place of worship that combined elements of classic French Gothic style and the curvilinear, organic aspects of the budding Art Nouveau school.
Despite decades of delays, thousands of artisans, laborers, and designers have contributed to the ambitious and glorious landmark. Inspired by Gaudí's vision, the film explores our fundamentally human search for the meaning of existence, and the quest for creative expression.
In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the Catalonian metropolis, the documentary investigates the structural developments of the Sagrada Família while allowing the audience time to observe, perceive, and reflect upon the historical, artistic and personal significance of the basilica.