All That is Solid: A Celluloid Exploration of Brutalist Architecture

All That Is Solid is an experimental film that investigates Brutalist architecture through the decayed surface of black and white celluloid. The film features three locations: Robarts Library, The University of Toronto Scarborough campus (UTSC) and the Ross building at York University. All are prominent examples of Brutalist architecture on university campuses. Footage of the buildings has been degraded using photochemical processes that result in unique patterns of decay. The decay processes are used to draw material and aesthetic connections between concrete and celluloid. By distressing and dissolving images of massive buildings, the film explores how time breaks down all materials, even solid concrete. The film also explores the shifting reactions and responses to the buildings, from their initial praise by the architectural community as cutting edge and futuristic, to the intense public backlash that followed shortly after they were built.