From typefaces to toys to buildings: enjoy a documentary film series dedicated to the wide world of graphic, product and building design. All films begin at 6:00 pm. Presented in part by the IMA Design Arts Society. Series made possible with support from the Evans Woollen Fund.

June 5: GRAPHIC DESIGN
Helvetica
(2007, 80 minutes, dir. Gary Hustwit)
Introduced by Kristian Andersen of Kristian Andersen & Associates.
How did a typeface created by a little-known Swiss designer in 1957 become one of the most popular communication modes fifty years later? Helvetica is about the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication. The film is an exploration of urban spaces and the type that inhabits them. The film includes a fluid discussion with renowned designers about the graphic design process, the aesthetics behind type choices, and the social impact type makes. In collaboration with AIGA Indy.

June 12: PRODUCT DESIGN
Cinema Eames
Experience the legacy of Charles & Ray Eames through a collection of cinematic documents. Filmmaker and artist Eames Demetrios, grandson of Ray & Charles, will introduce the films and host a dialogue afterward.

Lounge Chair
(1956, 2 minutes, dir. Charles & Ray Eames)
Made for the introduction of the Eames Lounge chair, it shows the sped up assembly of an Eames Lounge Chair.

House: After Five Years of Living
(1955, 11 minutes, dir. Charles & Ray Eames)
A personal portrait of the Eames House, a classic of post-war American architecture which the Eameses designed and built in 1949 with input from architect Eero Saarinen—documented with still images.

Toccata for Toy Trains
(1957, 14 minutes, dir. Charles & Ray Eames)
Vintage toy trains journey through a visually rich world of toy people, props, and scenery—with a focus in the honest use of materials.

Design Q & A
(1972, 5 minutes, dir. Charles & Ray Eames)
This witty film expresses the Eames notion of the value of constraints and the consideration of user need in product design.

901: After 45 Years of Working
(1990, 28 minutes, dir. Eames Demetrios)
From 1943 to 1988, the Eames Office was located at 901 Washington Boulevard in Venice, CA. This film uses 901 as a prism to examine the richness of the Eames’ life and work.

June 19: ARCHITECTURE
Sir John Soane: An English Architect, An American Legacy
(2005, 62 mins., dir. Murray Grigor)
English architect Sir John Soane (1753-1837) was a profound influence on a generation of American architects, including Michael Graves, Philip Johnson, and Richard Meier. This film investigates both the influence of Roman antiquity on Soane, as well as the ways his stripped-down classical style helped guide the American architects out of the strictures of Modernism. Footage of Soane’s works, including his residence museum in London and the Dulwich Picture Gallery, is intercut with detailed views of Johnson’s Guest House and Meier’s Getty Museum, among other buildings that bear Soane’s influence. Film introduced by Vop Osili, principal at the interdisciplinary design practice A2SO4. In collaboration with American Institute of Architects, Indianapolis Chapter.