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Fernand Pouillon, Le roman d'un architecte
10.0 / 10• 2003• 52m•NR• French
Documentary
Storyline
Constructing freestone buildings on the cheap, Pouillon made a name for himself at the end of the 1940s in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, shaking up his peers who only dreamed of towers and concrete bars. In Algiers, until Independence, he built in record time thousands of homes for the poorest, real urban projects inspired by traditional forms. In the Paris region, to build comfortable buildings quickly and well, nestled in the greenery, he becomes a promoter: this too adventurous bet leads him to prison and retains his reputation. Not very explicit about this complex affair, but seduced by a contemporary architecture that combines technical inventiveness and ancient references, Christian Meunier films by multiplying the angles of view. Today's lively atmospheres are interspersed with archive footage, while Pouillon's writings are read off. Moved, his collaborators evoke a demanding and generous man, with an infectious passion.
Cast & Crew
Fernand Pouillon
Self (archive footage)
Lead
Jean-Jacques Deluz
Architect
RF
Rachid Fehri
Self
JL
Jean Lucien Bonillo
Architect
JS
Jean-Pierre Siame
Architect
JC
Jean-Marie Chevallier
Self
JC
Jean Chenivesse
Self
JC
Jacques Chanaud
Self
What People Are Saying
5.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Christian Meunier's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
5.0
“Every frame feels alive. Fernand Pouillon, Le roman d'un architecte is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
