REM

Tomas Koolhaas's 2016 documentary film, REM, offers a unique exploration of the world through the perspective of his father, prominent Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. A deeply personal creative endeavor, the film brings audiences a seldom-seen facet of documenting the impact of Koolhaas' work on the daily lives of people and the built environment. This unconventional biography ascends beyond the conventional structures of the architectural documentary, to encapsulate the humanity and the effect of design on society at large.

The film, unlike traditional architectural documentaries, sidesteps speaking about buildings as static forms. Instead, it delves into the experiences and stories that the structures give rise to, laying bare the confluences of life and architectural potency. It is a biography not only of an architect but of the buildings he helped conceive and the lives they affect.

The premise of the film revolves around intimate and raw observations from the inhabitants of the designed spaces. It captures the multiplicity of human experiences the buildings embrace—the connection, interactions, emotions, and diverse narratives. By foregrounding these human experiences overshadowed by physical infrastructure, the documentary serves as a testament to the deeply ingrained fabric of architecture inside human life.

Koolhaas' monumental works, such as the Seattle Central Library, Casa de Musica in Porto, and CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, occupy the central portion in the film. These buildings serve as the narrative framework, while the interactions within and around them humanize the concrete and glass and put forth the idea that buildings don't exist in isolation, removed from society. Rather, they help shape, guide, and are influenced by the people that inhabit them.

What sets REM apart from other documentaries is its choice to not employ a traditional historian or critic. Instead, the film utilizes a series of interactive dialogues and interviews with Koolhaas himself, the inhabitants of his buildings, and also city wanderers who navigate around his edifices daily. The director, Tomas Koolhaas, captures these narratives through first-hand experiences, often presented in poetic, intimate, and tactile imagery that echo his father’s innovation of deconstructivism in architecture.

Swirling through the themes of urbanization, social politics, culture, and design ingenuity, REM submits a visceral anthology of human and architectural relationship engaging viewers in its rich and dense narrative. The film serves to question the notion of viewer's conventional perception of built structures as mere inanimate figures in the urban landscape.

Furthermore, it unearths the power of design in shaping the human experience, hinting at the architect’s role beyond construction—it emphasizes the importance of understanding the crevices of human behavior and societal norms in the pursuit of creating buildings that foster life, interaction, and humanity.

The documentary also captures the essence of Koolhaas' conceptual approach to architecture—his ideal of modern buildings not as isolated, ego-driven monuments but as pieces of city fabric woven inextricably into the hustle and bustle of urban life.

The film, nonetheless, retains an artful balance by not resorting to mere glorification of Koolhaas' genius. It draws attention to the critical rainbow accompanying grand scale designs and projects—navigating through the tension between creativity and compromise, the interplay of power dynamics, and the messy reality of realizing visions in the material world.

The cinematography of REM is equally impactful. With its synergy of sublime time-lapses, overhead shots, and a captivating score, the film's visual and audio aesthetics are as arresting and thought-provoking as its narrated content. They powerfully spotlight the co-existence of immensity and minutiae within architectural design, steering viewers to appreciate the beauty in details and the grandeur of totality.

In summary, REM is no ordinary documentary. It’s a vivid exploration of built structures as living, breathing organisms that house and give rise to countless human stories. A tribute to Rem Koolhaas’s groundbreaking contributions to modern architecture, the film gently reminds viewers that architecture is more about people than buildings—an intimate dance between space and the human experience.