Events

In 1982, then-French President François Mitterrand announced an international architectural competition for a very special structure: the Grand Arch of Defense. Some say that Mitterrand conceived this monument and decided to build it as a grandiose monument to himself. Others retort that without such grand ambitions, Paris wouldn’t even have the Arc de Triomphe. Both sides have their arguments, and fewer and fewer people know the truth. The architectural competition was won by Otto von Spreckelsen, a virtually unknown architect from Denmark. At the time, 53-year-old Otto (actor Claes Bang) was teaching architecture to curious students and was more of a theorist than a practitioner. Nevertheless, he decided to enter the competition. The artist’s futuristic vision for the project captivated the secret competition jury, and before he knew it, Otto was already on his way to Paris. Naively hoping to quickly and smoothly build a magnificent work of art, Otas had no idea what difficulties awaited him. Political games, the greed of businessmen, media-generated publicity, the language barrier, and the jealousy of colleagues—everything intertwined into an increasingly oppressive hostility and professional and moral pressure.

Biographical Drama
Director: Stéphane Demoustier
Starring: Claes Bang, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Xavier Dolan, and others.
Rated 13.
In French with Lithuanian subtitles. Tickets
: kinasarlekinas.lt. Club
members: 4 EUR