Paradise Lost: History in the Unmaking is a whimsical feature-length essay about Birmingham Central Library and the death of Modernism. When filmmaker Andy Howlett set out with his camera to document the final days of the condemned Brutalist complex, little did he know the rabbit hole he was stumbling into.

Decried by the Council as an eyesore, but hailed by Historic England as an exemplar of postwar design, architect John Madin’s concrete colossus and the fight to save it is a curious tale. In this psychogeographic detective story, Andy Howlett weaves together archival footage with on-the-ground explorations in an attempt to figure out what went wrong with yesterday’s future.

The story is a rumination on how Modernism took hold in post-war Britain and the hopes and aspirations it reflected. It reveals how best laid plans can be hijacked, community values can differ and how history is written depending on who is holding the pen. 

Director: Andy Howlett
Year: 2021
Country: UK
Duration: 84mins

Curated in association with the Revelation Perth International Film Festival

The Fremantle Design Film Festival returns with six films that offer a thought-provoking exploration into the deep connection between design, society and culture.

Featuring documentaries expertly curated by screen practitioner Richard Sowada, the finely calibrated program unites around the Fremantle Design Week theme of transition and captures the people, places and ideas that shape our world through design.

Three films focus on the legacy of Modernism, charting the rise and fall of the most influential design movement of the last century and traversing time across India, the UK and the USA.

The pressing global issues of homelessness and displacement are explored in two deeply personal films, and we meet Maija Isola, the Danish designer behind Marrimekko’s most enduring patterns.

FDW Film Festival presented by: