The impressive building La Sagrada Família, on which work began in 1882, is the best-known work of the legendary architect Antoni Gaudí. It is hoped that the basilica will finally be completed 100 years after Gaudí’s death, in 2026. In the fascinating documentary Sagrada – El Misteri de la Creació the viewer is initiated into the beauty and mysteries surrounding the world’s most famous cathedral-under-construction.
Anyone who has been lucky enough to visit the La Sagrada Família can confirm that the beauty of this overwhelming building is almost beyond comprehension. That Stefan Haupt and his team have managed to produce an impressive guide to this architectural work is a great achievement. The light, colours, forms, texture of the materials, the grandeur: the experience of watching the documentary approaches the magic of a real live visit to the Sagrada. And as behoves any good documentary, opposing voices have also been heard. Questions have been raised about the necessity of completing the Sagrada, about art and whether Gaudí’s original intention can be preserved through the interpretation of contemporary artists. It is to the filmmaker’s credit that he doesn’t baulk from the controversy, whether it be economic, religious or aesthetic in nature or is a matter of urban planning.