This film is followed by a prerecorded Q&A.

Considered by many as one of the greatest architects of the 20th century, Alvar Aalto enjoyed an exceptionally rich career both at home in Finland and abroad. His blend of beauty and functionalism, attention to material details and human-centred approach to design had a profound impact on the trajectory of modernism. Aalto offers a stunning cinematic tour of some of his most celebrated projects: from the ground-breaking Paimio Sanatorium in Finland and the Vyborg Library in Russia, to the MIT Baker House Dormitory in Massachusetts and the Finnish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. But director Virpi Suutari challenges the myth of the lone creative genius by highlighting how indebted Aalto’s legacy is to his wife Aino Aalto, an architect, interior designer and managing director of their company, Artek. Through interviews with experts, home videos and letters exchanged between Alvar and Aino, Aalto provides insight into the couple’s intimate life, their joint creative endeavours and their iconic contributions to modernist design. -MS

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