In 1919, the creation of the Bauhaus school in Germany marked an important moment in the history of architecture, one that would ignite innumerable debates about architecture and design for years to come. This school, which later became more of a movement than an institution, faced an array of political resistance throughout its existence, eventually closing its doors in 1933 during the Nazi regime. However, the knowledge instilled by the Bauhaus transcended time and space to travel across the globe and make its mark on cities worldwide.
A hundred years later, many have dedicated themselves to telling the story of what took place within the walls of this iconic institution, a place mired in conflict and controversy mainly because it was the first educational institution to openly allow women to attend. Of course, these lucky few female students were not given the same treatment as their male counterparts and were only allowed to participate in programs focused on domestic and home matters.
It would seem that, thanks to the conditions and inequality of the time, the story of these women was doomed to fade from memory. Today, however, their names and what they accomplished have been given a channel into the public conscience. The story of Anni Albers, Gunta Stolzl, Marianne Brandt, Margarete Heymann, Gertrud Arndt, Benita Koch-Otte, Lou Scheper-Berkenkamp, and designer Alma Siedhoff-Buscher, inspired Gregor Schnitzler to design Bauhaus (Lotte am Bauhaus).
Bauhaus, directed by Gregor Schnitzler, was created with the support of the current director of the Bauhaus Archive, Annemarie Jaegg, who states: “The film gives an idea of the creativity, curiosity, and passion that these women embodied in that center for creative experimentation known as the Bauhaus”.
The drama is specifically focused on the career of Alma Siedhoff-Buscher, who, against her parents' wishes, enrolls in the school directed by visionary Walter Gropius and becomes a part of the generation of artists who want to usher out the old ways of the German Empire to make way for the new era, all the while re-imagining the role of women in architecture and design.
Film Details
Original Title: “Lotte am Bauhaus”
Country and year of production: Germany, 2019
Duration: 105 minutos
Director: Gregor Schnitzler
Screenplay: Jan Braren
Director of photography: Christian Stangassinger
Cast: Alicia von Rittberg, Noah Saavedra, Jörg Hartmann, Nina Gummich, Marie Hacke
'Bauhaus (Lotte am Bauhaus)' is available for subscribers to Filmin here.
