The Architecture + Design Film Series: RAMS

The Architecture + Design Film Series, shown monthly in Brattleboro and Burlington, returns for its seventh season in Burlington, second in Brattleboro, with a screening of Rams (2018, Directed by Gary Hustwit, USA, 74 min) on Wednesday, November 13 at 6:30 pm at 118 Elliot in downtown Brattleboro.

All film showings are free and open to all.

Rams is a portrait of Dieter Rams, one of the most influential designers alive, and a rumination on consumerism, materialism, sustainability, and the future of design. His design principles champion simplicity, honesty, and restraint, and still apply to design theory and practice today. Hustwit’s film takes after Rams’ aesthetic of “less, but better,” “by being brisk, matter of fact, well lighted and composed of clean lines,” writes Glenn Kenny in a review for the New York Times.

Dieter Rams’ “less, but better” approach to industrial design has earned him international acclaim since the 1970s; students of design around the world are familiar with his 10 principles for good design. His work with German companies Braun and Vitsœ has been credited as a major influence on such modern design innovations as Apple Inc.’s products. Ironically, Rams is also one of the earliest opponents of “planned obsolescence,” a controversial product design policy companies such as Apple Inc. often employ.

Gary Hustwit is an independent filmmaker and photographer based in New York. He has produced 13 feature documentaries, including the award-winning I Am Trying To Break Your Heart about the band Wilco; Oddsac, an experimental feature film by the band Animal Collective; and Mavis!, the HBO documentary about gospel/soul music legend Mavis Staples.

The Architecture + Design Film Series, started six years ago in Burlington, selects diverse films celebrating design in all its various forms.  Their success in Burlington led local architect Jim Williams, who designed the popular 118 Elliot, to extend the series’ reach to the opposite end of the state in Brattleboro with support from the American Institute of Architects Vermont Chapter (AIAVT) and numerous local business and individual sponsors.  Now the monthly screenings are held simultaneously in Burlington and in Brattleboro at 118 Elliot through April 2020. Film showings are free and open to all, presented to foster understanding and stimulate conversation about the impact of design and beauty in our daily lives.

The Architecture + Design Film Series website www.adfilmseries.org tells the history of the film series and presents film trailers for movies in this upcoming season. 118 Elliot is a modern, fully accessible arts and educational center in downtown Brattleboro. Learn more at www.118Elliot.com.