BERLINALE 2024 Competition
Review: Architecton

by Davide Abbatescianni, Cineuropa
February 21, 2024

BERLINALE 2024: Victor Kossakovsky’s latest effort is a freewheeling reflection on matter and architecture, and a fascinating journey through time and space.

Several thousand years of architectural history are woven together in Kossakovsky's visionary blockbuster, which almost without dialogue - but with images as sharp as flint and a soundtrack as massive as a pillow - is a total cinematic experience. --CPH:DOX

Most of us – especially those who live in sprawling, drab cities – notice every day that concrete is everywhere, in all its ugliness. And if beauty is indeed supposed “to save the world”, as Dostoevsky once said, by observing the depressing landscapes we are surrounded by, we can safely say there is still a long way to go. This is the message at the core of Victor Kossakovsky’s latest effort, Architecton, which has played in the main competition of this year’s Berlinale.


Review: Architecton

The picture revolves around Italian architect Michele De Lucchi, who appears as a gentle, low-profile presence throughout. He is supervising a very simple project, a sort of “circle of life” to be built in what seems to be De Lucchi’s own courtyard. Somehow, this elementary symbol becomes a tool to explore the rise and fall of entire civilisations. The scenes depicting the architect (who is often accompanied by two workers in charge of completing his project) act as very loose, light-hearted intermezzos, intertwined with the striking imagery which makes up most of Architecton.

Throughout, modern and ancient ruins are juxtaposed with each other, showing from varying distances the aftermath of recent tragedies, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine and the 2023 Turkish earthquake. But the focus is not only on destruction; rather, it is on matter itself. Wood, fire, sand, stone and, above all, concrete take centre stage in spectacular fashion. Matter can be used to craft something useful, create something beautiful or worsen people’s lives; and architecture is just one of the ways in which matter “expresses itself”, Kossakovsky’s film seems to suggest.



Meanwhile, the lack of a clear structure could make for a viewing experience that’s not particularly smooth. Nonetheless, it’s a fairly intriguing journey, enriched by the presence of Ben Bernhard’s sophisticated cinematography and Evgueni Galperine’s highly atmospheric score, capable of transporting the viewer – if only for a few seconds – to a more unearthly, “metaphysical” dimension.

The epilogue includes a brief conversation between the helmer and De Lucchi. They engage in an interesting discussion that finally makes the architect’s personality and vision of the world plain to see on screen. Even though this exchange looks overly staged – they both speak in English while two robotic lawnmowers are scurrying about in and around the courtyard – one might still wonder whether the presence of the architect should have been more strongly felt throughout.



On the whole, it is difficult to label this work by the Saint Petersburg-born filmmaker, owing to its highly freewheeling approach. We could call it an audiovisual meditation or reflection on matter, which touches upon other timely topics, but without going into too much depth. But in this case, remaining on the surface – literally and figuratively – is still a better-suited choice. An attempt to dig deep into something else would have made this feature much harder to enjoy and, possibly, a frustrating experience.

Architecton was produced by German outfit ma.ja.de Filmproduktions GmbH, France’s Point-du-Jour International and Les films du Balibari, the UK’s Hailstone Films and US firm A24. The Match Factory is in charge of its international sales.