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Director:
Nathaniel Kahn

Starring:
Nathaniel Kahn
Sue Ann Kahn
I.M. Pei
Priscilla Pattison
Edwina Pattison Daniels

Release: 12 Nov. 03
IMDb

Struggling to understand the enigma that is his father, Nathaniel Kahn goes through the achievements of his dad’s lifetime. For most sons this might be a few nights with old documents, clippings, and personal memories. Kahn, however, has buildings to regard -- he’s the son of Louis I. Kahn.

I respect what Kahn wants to do with his film, My Architect: A Son’s Journey, but I wonder if it’s really worth turning into a movie. Some stories of father-son estrangement and understanding can make wonderful films, but this one is built on a distance that isn’t particularly salvageable, even if Kahn travels around the world to look at these buildings. I even fancy myself a connoisseur of fine architecture, but watching people walk around these deserted buildings, long after their prime, isn’t particularly how I like to spend my afternoon screenings.

I desperately hope that Nathaniel Kahn gained an understanding of his father by making this film, and that what he learned will be useful in his own relations with his children. I just wish I hadn’t been forced to sit through this person struggle that plays out like an extended Dateline NBC special.