In November of last year, contributing editor, Khaled Sadiyyah met with Tomas Koolhaas and they spoke about the upcoming documentary, REM. The film follows Rem Koolhaas and includes clips of some of his buildings. They discussed the humanity in the projects that Tomas filmed on location and what makes them successful, as well as, the importance of a non-architect documenting one of today’s most respected architects.

KS: How long have you been making this documentary?

TK: It’s difficult to give an exact start date because for many years there’s been an idea of me making a film, before I was actually working full time on it. If I knew there was something I might want to use later, I’d go and film it. In 2005, I went and shot the construction of the CCTV, so I did know I would be making a film but I haven’t been working on it full time since then. I’d say I’ve really been working on it full time for three years.

KS: Were there any you particularly enjoyed visiting? Any preferences?

TK: Well I liked different buildings for different reasons.  The Seattle Library was interesting because of the situation with the homeless people, and how it’s really used as a public building. Whereas, the CCTV has a completely opposite condition where they plan on implementing a public space eventually but there isn’t any at the moment.

It’s hard to narrow down one specific project that I preferred but for me, as a film maker, the buildings that yielded the best kind of footage I was after were, Casa de Musica, the Seattle  Public Library and the CCTV.

KS: And as a filmmaker did you find any challenges filming these buildings?

TK: … You mean not being an architect?

KS: Exactly. Was that difficult for the type of footage you were after?

TK: No, not at all. I think it actually helped. I mean, when architects watch the film they may be annoyed because it’s not more “architectural” but for me as a filmmaker I think it’s a good thing. When I watch documentaries related to architecture, most of them are made by architects, and in my opinion, I think that hurts the film rather than help it.

When architects make a film about architecture, they have a specific way of looking at it, which is not usually the way an average person would view the projects being filmed. One of the problems about architecture documentaries is that they only appeal to architects, because they’re usually filled with jargon and focused from a specific architectural perspective.

KS: So you’re filming these projects with a fresh pair of eyes…

TK: Right, I look at the buildings from a more humanistic view, I look for the life within the building. However, that being said I have grown up around a lot of architects and I’m familiar with all the elements and terminology of architecture, so I do understand it but that’s not my primary perspective.