Father, Son, and Holy Spaces

I finally got around to watching Nathaniel Kahn's autobiographical documentary My Architect, A Son's Journey (2003). As expected, the film closely examines the life and work of famed architect Louis Kahn, Nathaniel's father, and, as the title would suggest, does so through the filmmaker's personal journey to more fully understand the father he hardly knew, having lost him to a heart attack when Nathaniel was just eleven years old. Unexpectedly, Nathaniel's journey proved as compelling as his father's career.

The film opens with the reading of Louis Kahn's obituary, a seemingly dry expositional moment until the viewer realizes that Nathaniel is not listed among Kahn's children. In fact, of Kahn's three children, none of whom share a mother, only one is claimed. From this early moment the character's dominant goal is clearly established...

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