Unfinished Spaces

Unfinished Spaces is a compelling 2011 documentary that plunges into the art, politics, and architectural marvels that converge in Cuba's National Art Schools project. The film, directed by Alysa Nahmias and Benjamin Murray, offers an insightful journey into a fascinating historical and cultural narrative intertwined with the three architects involved – Vittorio Garatti, Roberto Gottardi, and Ricardo Porro.

The unfolding drama of the documentary revolves around the National Art Schools' project in Cuba, an ambitious architectural venture headed by three audacious architects. These daring structures, designed by Garatti, Gottardi, and Porro, were commissioned by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in the heady ease of the early Cuban Revolution. Nestled in Havana's suburban landscape, the buildings epitomized the revolution's fervor and represented the Cuban people's aspirations, hopes, and dreams. The film brilliantly explores this ambitious project, its sudden abandonment, and its subsequent neglect.

Unfinished Spaces' narrative is largely unfolded through the vibrant stories of Ricardo Porro, Vittorio Garatti, and Roberto Gottardi – the three innovators who were chosen to create the revolutionary National Art Schools. Their charisma infuses the film with a bewitching charm and humanizes the stark structures they designed. The architects' different personalities frame the film's dual narrative: the creation of a unique architectural landscape and their struggle with the unforeseen consequences of political change in Cuba.

Porro, Garatti, and Gottardi, fascinated by this golden opportunity, endow the schools with their creative spirit. Their profound love for architecture and determination to birth an audacious artistic vision become evident as they defy conventions to create a monumental yet functional architectural marvel. But as the political climate in Cuba changed, the project faced increased opposition. The schools, once described as 'the most outstanding architectural achievement of the Cuban Revolution', were deemed wasteful and contrary to socialist ideals. Despite this, the architects relentlessly fought for their creation.

Nahmias and Murray cleverly dovetail discussions about art and politics into the narrative framework of Unfinished Spaces. The film explores how changing political ideologies can profoundly impact artistic expression. The structures, initially endorsed and celebrated, soon became a symbol of excess and were consequently left to decay. This melancholic chapter in the National Schools' journey is visually captured by the film's excellent cinematography, characterizing the buildings' ghostly ruins and their encroaching natural surroundings.

The film intelligently juxtaposes the architects' emotional and poignant personal stories against the larger canvas of Cuba's political and cultural landscape. Their nostalgic reflection on their unrealized dreams, the searing pain of their shared humiliation, and their fervent longing for the completed project adds an empathetic touch to the narrative. The film's elegant and heartfelt narrative style manages to encapsulate the vast range of emotions experienced by the architects and the Cuban public.

The tone of Unfinished Spaces is, at times, elegiac, reflecting on the ruins that once promised to be architectural and cultural icons. It is also, however, filled with hope and inspiration. It illustrates the enduring power of art, creativity, and human vision in face of adversity. The documentary poses a question - can creative vision triumph over political fluctuations, misconceptions, and time? The answer it seems to present is a resounding yes, especially as it showcases the renewed interest and efforts to restore the unfinished buildings in its final sections.

Throughout the movie, the beautiful photography underscores the uniqueness of the building designs and their environment, imparting an almost palpable sense of what was and what might have been. With its interweaving of history, political dynamics, and the personal tales of the architects, Unfinished Spaces is a genuinely compelling watch.

Unfinished Spaces is a testament to the enduring power of artistic vision and the resilience of hope, even in the face of political opposition and neglect. Above all, it proves that art, in all of its manifestations, can withstand the test of time and changing ideological landscapes. This film is a moving tribute to the human capacity to dream and create, making it a must-watch for anyone interested in architecture, art, history, and the interplay of politics and culture.