The space in which we find ourselves – physically, conceptually, even ontologically – is becoming increasingly unstable. The same goes for the current political, scientific and planetary atmospheres. The stories of “civilization” and “nature” intersect, but how can we persist in the face of the great transformations we witness every day? Critical thinking agents who align politics with issues of planning, organization, design of the physical space and creation of environments are, at this juncture, key actors.

Although architecture has a recognized place within broad sociopolitical and cultural systems, until recently it was not recognized as part of Earth’s geology, despite being a strong geological agent, unearthing, mobilizing, transforming and transporting earth, water, air, and energy in unimaginable ways.

In the seventh edition of the Arquiteturas International Film Festival we will investigate and discuss the transformations that have been triggered by human and natural factors presenting films that portray the current state of human nature: the rebirth of the collectivist paradigm, increasing approaches to sustainability, and crisis of refugees, design, and racism in the colonialist sphere, gender issues, circular economy and the advances of science (VR / AR / AI) are some of the themes that we hope to identify in the Open Call and in the curated program by the festival artistic director Sofia Mourato and curator André Costa.