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[soft music playing]
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00:00:52,386 --> 00:00:54,095
[woman] Dearest Federica,
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00:00:55,013 --> 00:00:57,473
I thank you infinitely,
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00:00:59,268 --> 00:01:01,811
as it was you who led me to Barragán,
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00:01:02,521 --> 00:01:05,064
and Barragán who brought me back to you.
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00:01:12,948 --> 00:01:15,324
Over these past three years,
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00:01:15,409 --> 00:01:18,536
I've thoroughly enjoyed
our written exchanges.
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00:01:22,624 --> 00:01:25,501
It was my desire to know Barragán
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00:01:25,586 --> 00:01:30,590
that first drew me to your ownership
of the rights to his name and work.
10
00:01:34,553 --> 00:01:35,469
Now...
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00:01:36,513 --> 00:01:41,309
I contemplate at what lengths
you and I stand from him in our triangle.
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00:01:47,357 --> 00:01:51,861
Federica, I know my offer is unorthodox,
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00:01:51,945 --> 00:01:55,740
but please know my proposal stands.
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00:02:10,881 --> 00:02:13,924
[man] Once again,
we are here in this historic room
15
00:02:14,009 --> 00:02:18,512
as the guests of the Pritzker family
and the trustees of Harvard University.
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00:02:21,933 --> 00:02:25,770
This evening,
we honor Luis Barragán of Mexico.
17
00:02:26,563 --> 00:02:29,023
Ηe has been called a poet
among architects.
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00:02:30,275 --> 00:02:31,984
The artist among architects.
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00:02:32,069 --> 00:02:33,778
And unlike most of us,
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he has accepted solitude as man's fate.
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00:02:41,662 --> 00:02:44,872
Perhaps the best
and most pleasant duty I have
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as the Secretary of the Jury
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00:02:47,376 --> 00:02:51,045
is to call and tell
the Pritzker Prize laureate he has won.
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00:02:54,049 --> 00:02:57,301
When I telephoned
Señor Barragán in Mexico,
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he was overcome with emotion.
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Ηis voice choked and he said so movingly,
"I cannot speak."
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00:03:09,606 --> 00:03:14,193
Tonight Luis Barragán
honors us by his presence.
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00:04:09,332 --> 00:04:12,626
[woman] Dear Federica Zanco
at the Barragan Foundation,
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00:04:13,462 --> 00:04:17,047
I'm writing this letter
to request a visit to the archive.
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00:04:17,132 --> 00:04:20,342
I'm a visual artist,
writer and researcher.
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00:04:21,386 --> 00:04:26,474
For some time now, I have been studying
Luis Barragán's life and practice.
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00:04:27,350 --> 00:04:30,978
To continue my investigation
into Barragán's legacy,
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00:04:31,062 --> 00:04:34,690
I would like to visit
your archive of his work in Switzerland
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00:04:34,775 --> 00:04:38,110
and to study firsthand
his sketches, models,
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00:04:38,195 --> 00:04:41,655
photographs, source material
and inspirations.
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I thank you in advance
for considering my request
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00:04:45,744 --> 00:04:49,413
and look forward with great anticipation
to viewing the archive.
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00:04:50,373 --> 00:04:52,458
Sincerely, Jill Magid.
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00:05:09,226 --> 00:05:14,313
Unlike the certainty of death,
legacy always remains an open question.
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00:05:15,941 --> 00:05:18,192
In Barragán's case, I have many.
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00:05:19,778 --> 00:05:24,573
What happens to an artist's legacy
when it is controlled by a corporation?
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00:05:25,492 --> 00:05:26,826
Who can access it?
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00:05:27,994 --> 00:05:29,119
Who can't?
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00:05:30,956 --> 00:05:35,292
When Barragán died in 1988,
his legacy was divided.
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00:05:36,628 --> 00:05:40,172
Ηis personal archive
and his architecture are in Mexico.
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00:05:41,216 --> 00:05:42,925
But his professional archive,
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00:05:43,009 --> 00:05:46,595
including thousands of his drawings,
negatives and models,
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00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:51,267
was purchased by the chairman of the Swiss
furniture company, Vitra.
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00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,316
For the past 20 years,
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00:05:59,401 --> 00:06:01,986
Barragán's archive
has been closed to the public
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00:06:02,070 --> 00:06:04,238
and held, inaccessibly,
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00:06:04,322 --> 00:06:07,658
below the Vitra corporate
headquarters in Switzerland.
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00:06:16,084 --> 00:06:19,253
[woman, as Federica]
Dear Jill Magid, thank you for your mail
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00:06:19,337 --> 00:06:22,006
and interest in the work of Luis Barragán.
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00:06:22,716 --> 00:06:25,050
Unfortunately, at the moment,
we are struggling
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00:06:25,135 --> 00:06:28,512
for closing a major publication
on the archives.
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00:06:28,597 --> 00:06:32,725
This is a complex project,
developed over many years,
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00:06:32,809 --> 00:06:35,728
and during the next months,
we will be completely unable
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00:06:35,812 --> 00:06:37,771
to allow access to the collection,
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00:06:37,856 --> 00:06:40,441
nor be of any help to third parties.
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I hope you would understand.
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00:06:43,486 --> 00:06:48,198
With best regards,
Federica Zanco, the Barragan Foundation.
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00:07:04,007 --> 00:07:06,216
[man] I didn't buy the Barragán archive.
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00:07:06,301 --> 00:07:08,928
I, uh... I took it on consignment.
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00:07:11,431 --> 00:07:15,434
I had really no idea
how big it was until it arrived.
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00:07:16,478 --> 00:07:18,395
It was overwhelming to me.
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00:07:22,067 --> 00:07:25,486
Vitra, or Rolf Fehlbaum,
the owner of Vitra,
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00:07:25,570 --> 00:07:30,032
they had heard about the fact that I
somehow had the Barragán collection.
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00:07:30,617 --> 00:07:33,661
I was approached immediately,
and they made it very clear
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00:07:33,745 --> 00:07:35,996
that they wanted to buy
the entire archive.
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00:07:37,832 --> 00:07:39,458
Τhey wanted to keep it together.
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00:07:40,585 --> 00:07:43,295
And they have their campus
of great architects.
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00:07:44,339 --> 00:07:47,216
I actually was sympathetic to the notion.
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00:07:47,884 --> 00:07:51,261
'Cause it's much better than breaking it
up and selling it piecemeal.
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00:07:52,973 --> 00:07:56,058
It was probably the biggest sale
of architecture ever.
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00:08:02,857 --> 00:08:06,694
I remember this was termed as a gift,
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00:08:07,237 --> 00:08:09,530
that they were acquiring the drawings
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00:08:09,614 --> 00:08:12,741
to celebrate Federica's
engagement to Rolf,
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00:08:13,368 --> 00:08:18,122
that this was like
an engagement present to Federica.
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00:08:23,712 --> 00:08:25,796
[Jill] I imagine a love triangle
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00:08:26,423 --> 00:08:30,175
where the proposal of one man brought
the promise of another.
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00:08:43,189 --> 00:08:46,734
Rolf Fehlbaum bought the archive in 1995,
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00:08:46,818 --> 00:08:50,446
and later trademarked
Barragán's name without the accent.
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00:08:53,199 --> 00:08:55,701
He established the Barragan Foundation,
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00:08:55,785 --> 00:08:59,621
which Federica,
his now wife, has since directed.
86
00:09:01,708 --> 00:09:05,044
In an article I found from 1998,
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00:09:05,128 --> 00:09:09,381
Federica suggests the archive
would be open within a couple of years.
88
00:09:12,969 --> 00:09:15,012
It's now been 20 years.
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00:09:17,724 --> 00:09:21,143
Without access to his professional archive
in Switzerland,
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00:09:21,227 --> 00:09:25,147
I turned to his personal archive,
owned by a Mexican foundation.
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00:09:52,050 --> 00:09:54,384
I arrive at Barragán's house and studio,
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00:09:54,469 --> 00:09:58,931
where his personal archive remains
and his professional archive once was.
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00:10:00,975 --> 00:10:04,394
I will stay here while the museum
is closed to the public.
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00:10:45,937 --> 00:10:49,898
Τhe director of the museum
welcomes me into the small entrance hall.
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00:10:52,277 --> 00:10:55,404
I follow her up the raw volcanic steps.
96
00:11:01,619 --> 00:11:04,037
She shows me to the guest bedroom,
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00:11:04,122 --> 00:11:06,790
not the master bedroom,
where I thought I'd sleep,
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00:11:06,875 --> 00:11:09,418
in the bed in which Barragán died.
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00:11:12,755 --> 00:11:17,259
She tells me the guest bedroom is where
all of Barragán's girlfriends slept.
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00:11:23,266 --> 00:11:26,393
I'm the first to sleep here
in almost 30 years.
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00:11:42,035 --> 00:11:43,535
[dogs barking in the distance]
102
00:11:51,711 --> 00:11:54,880
The patio in the garden
is full of clay vessels.
103
00:11:58,259 --> 00:12:01,220
I read Luis loved the smell of wet clay.
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00:12:02,555 --> 00:12:07,142
Every morning, the maids would dip the
vessels into the reflecting pool
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00:12:07,227 --> 00:12:11,021
so that the smell of wet clay
would waft into Luis' studio.
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00:12:18,863 --> 00:12:21,990
I try to lift a vessel. It doesn't budge.
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00:12:30,959 --> 00:12:32,417
[distant barking]
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00:12:45,515 --> 00:12:48,976
Every few minutes,
I hear a plane pass overhead.
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00:12:52,146 --> 00:12:54,523
Cars honk and dogs bark.
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00:12:58,319 --> 00:13:00,028
Τhe noises surprise me.
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00:13:00,947 --> 00:13:04,992
I would've thought that Barragán,
known for his love of silence,
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00:13:05,076 --> 00:13:07,619
would've built the walls
of this house thick enough
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00:13:07,704 --> 00:13:10,414
to hold the world at a sonic distance.
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00:13:11,082 --> 00:13:12,666
I was wrong.
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00:13:18,756 --> 00:13:22,592
Τhere is a silence, though. I can feel it.
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00:13:44,407 --> 00:13:49,911
Barragán's style was, um,
so original and different...
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00:13:50,913 --> 00:13:53,081
than other architects
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00:13:53,166 --> 00:13:59,004
who were just following
the style of Frank Lloyd Wright
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00:13:59,088 --> 00:14:01,548
and architects like that.
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00:14:01,632 --> 00:14:07,054
And he...
he used to work with imagination,
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00:14:07,138 --> 00:14:09,973
more with stories.
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00:14:11,642 --> 00:14:14,686
Ηe lived the whole house, every day.
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00:14:15,730 --> 00:14:18,607
Ηe... Ηe spent some time in the library,
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00:14:18,691 --> 00:14:23,111
some time in his bedroom,
sometimes in the garden.
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Ηe had a literary ideal of architecture.
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00:14:31,829 --> 00:14:34,956
Υou have to live in stories.
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00:15:31,597 --> 00:15:35,809
Well, there were many problems
after Barragán's death.
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00:15:35,893 --> 00:15:38,478
My husband was working with Barragán
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00:15:38,563 --> 00:15:43,984
from the late '60s to '88,
when Barragán died.
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00:15:48,865 --> 00:15:54,828
The archive was mentioned in the will
as inherited to my husband.
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00:15:54,912 --> 00:16:01,293
And in case he wasn't there,
I was mentioned as... as an heiress.
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00:16:03,004 --> 00:16:05,088
Τhen my husband died.
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00:16:05,715 --> 00:16:09,092
So, the lawyers in charge of the will
gave me the archive,
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00:16:09,177 --> 00:16:11,011
the possession of the archive.
135
00:16:12,263 --> 00:16:16,683
It's heavy to get something like that.
It's heavy.
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00:16:16,767 --> 00:16:19,978
And in order to maintain the archive
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00:16:20,062 --> 00:16:24,900
or to do something with it--
because you have to do something with it--
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00:16:24,984 --> 00:16:27,277
I decided to sell it.
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00:16:27,361 --> 00:16:32,032
For two years, I thought that the archive
should stay in Mexico.
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00:16:32,658 --> 00:16:34,159
Until...
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00:16:35,828 --> 00:16:39,998
Since I had no response,
I realized that nobody cared for it.
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00:16:40,917 --> 00:16:44,169
So, I decided to sell it outside.
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00:16:44,253 --> 00:16:47,589
And, uh, Max Protetch was interested.
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00:16:47,673 --> 00:16:50,300
I decided to call him, and he said,
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00:16:50,384 --> 00:16:53,303
"Well, I have a client in Switzerland."
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00:16:53,387 --> 00:16:57,182
And, uh, as soon as I sold it,
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00:16:57,266 --> 00:17:01,811
everybody got very interested
in national feelings
148
00:17:01,896 --> 00:17:03,772
and national treasures.
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00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,149
But it was too late.
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00:17:35,721 --> 00:17:37,889
The archive is a huge one.
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00:17:40,309 --> 00:17:44,563
It weighs about 1,000 kilos.
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00:17:49,735 --> 00:17:52,821
Everything was at the studio.
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00:18:00,496 --> 00:18:05,458
In this archive, you can see the evolution
of Barragán architecture.
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00:18:12,758 --> 00:18:16,261
Luis Barragán understood
that it was interesting
155
00:18:16,345 --> 00:18:19,180
to keep all this material alive
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00:18:19,265 --> 00:18:21,808
because he feIt he was going to die,
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00:18:21,892 --> 00:18:26,187
and everybody would like
to survive in some way.
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00:19:08,439 --> 00:19:10,440
[soft guitar music playing]
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00:19:31,087 --> 00:19:33,046
[Jill] Dear Federica Zanco,
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00:19:36,217 --> 00:19:39,427
you may recall that
I reached out to you this past winter
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00:19:39,512 --> 00:19:42,931
requesting permission to visit
the Barragan Foundation.
162
00:19:44,141 --> 00:19:45,892
I was sorry it was not possible
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00:19:45,976 --> 00:19:48,353
for me to view the foundation
at that time.
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00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,277
In the meantime,
I have been fortunate enough
165
00:19:56,362 --> 00:20:00,073
to receive full access
to Barragán's personal archive.
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00:20:01,659 --> 00:20:05,120
I've been spending time
in his house and studio,
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00:20:05,204 --> 00:20:08,957
reading his letters, browsing through
his collection of photographs,
168
00:20:09,041 --> 00:20:10,917
and perusing his library.
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00:20:15,297 --> 00:20:18,591
While I am getting a sense
of Barragán the man,
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00:20:18,676 --> 00:20:22,011
I want to better understand him
as an architect.
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00:20:25,599 --> 00:20:29,018
This November,
I have a solo exhibition in New York,
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00:20:29,103 --> 00:20:32,063
in which I will be displaying
the works that I've made
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00:20:32,148 --> 00:20:35,817
based on photos and texts
from Barragán's personal archive.
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00:20:36,569 --> 00:20:39,654
I am writing to invite you
to curate a number of pieces
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00:20:39,739 --> 00:20:41,489
from Barragán's professional archive
176
00:20:41,574 --> 00:20:43,324
to be displayed within the show.
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00:20:46,036 --> 00:20:51,416
As you know the archive so intimately,
I welcome any material that you can offer.
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00:20:52,585 --> 00:20:56,921
I sincerely hope that you are able to
contribute to this project.
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00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,925
With warmth and admiration, Jill Magid.
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00:21:06,724 --> 00:21:09,309
[woman, as Federica] Dear Jill Magid,
181
00:21:09,393 --> 00:21:14,314
while sharing your interest and enthusiasm
in the work of Luis Barragán,
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00:21:14,398 --> 00:21:16,649
I am also aware of the differences
183
00:21:16,734 --> 00:21:21,029
between your eminently
artistic approach and mine.
184
00:21:22,031 --> 00:21:24,783
I am involved with scholarly research
185
00:21:24,867 --> 00:21:28,787
on Barragán and his archives since 1995.
186
00:21:29,371 --> 00:21:31,831
And the book we are trying to complete
is the conclusion
187
00:21:31,916 --> 00:21:34,501
of a very long, thorough investigation
188
00:21:34,585 --> 00:21:38,171
of original sources,
documents and testimonies.
189
00:21:38,756 --> 00:21:43,259
Given this fact, I really cannot consider
contributing to your exhibition
190
00:21:43,344 --> 00:21:45,386
within this short notice.
191
00:21:47,348 --> 00:21:50,350
While you are, of course,
entitled to display objects
192
00:21:50,434 --> 00:21:52,685
and original documents
from any collection,
193
00:21:52,770 --> 00:21:55,146
I trust you would make yourself aware
194
00:21:55,231 --> 00:22:00,360
of the possible copyright implications
of any sort of reproduction.
195
00:22:28,264 --> 00:22:33,434
[Jill] In 1995, Vitra purchased far more
than the physical archive.
196
00:22:35,312 --> 00:22:39,315
Τhe corporation also acquired
the intellectual property rights
197
00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:41,276
in all of Barragán's work.
198
00:22:43,571 --> 00:22:48,783
This entitles it to widely control visual
representations of his architecture,
199
00:22:49,785 --> 00:22:52,871
even though it doesn't own
any of his actual buildings.
200
00:22:54,665 --> 00:22:56,833
Τhese rights are strictly enforced.
201
00:23:05,843 --> 00:23:08,094
The Barragan Foundation
claims these rights
202
00:23:08,178 --> 00:23:10,513
regardless of the image's origins
203
00:23:10,598 --> 00:23:13,224
or the medium
in which it will be presented.
204
00:23:17,354 --> 00:23:19,355
Renowned photographer René Burri
205
00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,984
took a wealth of images
of Barragán's work in the 1960s,
206
00:23:23,527 --> 00:23:26,154
decades before the archive was purchased.
207
00:23:27,239 --> 00:23:29,198
Burri owns the photographs,
208
00:23:29,283 --> 00:23:32,118
but the foundation controls
their circulation.
209
00:23:45,090 --> 00:23:48,134
In 2007, filmmaker Ηeinz Emigholz
210
00:23:48,218 --> 00:23:51,054
wanted to make a film
about Barragán's architecture.
211
00:24:15,037 --> 00:24:20,917
Even these images I filmed inside
of Barragán's house could be restricted.
212
00:25:11,093 --> 00:25:15,179
The blue painting in the library alcove
is not a Josef Albers,
213
00:25:15,264 --> 00:25:17,306
although it looks deliberately like one.
214
00:25:19,143 --> 00:25:23,104
Barragán himself had no problem owning
unauthorized reproductions
215
00:25:23,188 --> 00:25:24,897
of other artists' work.
216
00:25:54,428 --> 00:25:55,887
[inaudible]
217
00:26:02,603 --> 00:26:04,979
[Juan] Τhere was this architect
that phones me
218
00:26:05,064 --> 00:26:08,733
and tells me, "There are some visitors
here from Switzerland
219
00:26:08,817 --> 00:26:12,320
that must absolutely see the house."
220
00:26:12,404 --> 00:26:15,782
Ηe told me they're
very important people from Switzerland.
221
00:26:15,866 --> 00:26:18,910
They were in Mexico
just to visit Barragán House.
222
00:26:18,994 --> 00:26:21,996
And when they came,
223
00:26:22,081 --> 00:26:25,917
they were overwhelmed by the house,
absolutely overwhelmed.
224
00:26:26,001 --> 00:26:28,628
I mean, well, Rolf was more restrained,
225
00:26:28,712 --> 00:26:32,215
but Federica was so... like this.
226
00:26:32,299 --> 00:26:35,551
She became connected
with Luis by this house.
227
00:26:36,553 --> 00:26:37,553
[woman] Mm-hmm.
228
00:26:37,638 --> 00:26:42,016
I, uh, told them the story
that we had lost the archive
229
00:26:42,101 --> 00:26:46,729
because the... the widow of Ferrera
230
00:26:46,814 --> 00:26:51,818
had offered us the archive
for several million dollars,
231
00:26:51,902 --> 00:26:53,736
and we hadn't had the money.
232
00:26:53,821 --> 00:26:56,572
And we had asked the government
to make something
233
00:26:56,657 --> 00:26:59,867
to keep the archive in Mexico City, to...
234
00:26:59,952 --> 00:27:06,165
And the archive had just been sold
to this gallery in New York.
235
00:27:07,376 --> 00:27:09,418
And they just heard the story.
236
00:27:10,420 --> 00:27:13,589
And then, very quietly, the day after,
they went to New York
237
00:27:13,674 --> 00:27:16,634
and bought the archive.
238
00:27:16,718 --> 00:27:18,469
[woman] But they were about to marry.
239
00:27:19,304 --> 00:27:24,475
And she wanted the archive
instead of anything else,
240
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,312
instead of any present
or ring or whatever.
241
00:27:28,397 --> 00:27:30,481
And the story is very beautiful,
242
00:27:30,566 --> 00:27:36,404
and, uh, he understood
her passion for Luis Barragán
243
00:27:36,488 --> 00:27:39,699
and for Barragán's life and work,
244
00:27:39,783 --> 00:27:44,036
and he understood that
that would be something
245
00:27:44,121 --> 00:27:47,123
for her to... to dedicate.
246
00:27:47,207 --> 00:27:51,419
When Rolf bought for Federica the archive,
247
00:27:51,503 --> 00:27:54,505
we thought, "Well, what a marvel."
248
00:27:55,424 --> 00:27:58,926
We will have with this
wonderful person we just met
249
00:27:59,011 --> 00:28:01,512
a very good relationship,
and we will exchange
250
00:28:01,597 --> 00:28:04,182
and we will cooperate and...
251
00:28:04,266 --> 00:28:08,227
-Mm-hmm.
-And then, 25 years after...
252
00:28:09,271 --> 00:28:12,023
No. We are at the same point.
253
00:28:12,107 --> 00:28:17,612
I have told her several times this,
that...
254
00:28:17,696 --> 00:28:21,949
"Well, just share.
You can come to our archive,
255
00:28:22,034 --> 00:28:26,329
then we go to your archive,
and then we share things."
256
00:28:26,413 --> 00:28:27,955
She said, "No."
257
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,376
When people ask me about the archives,
258
00:28:32,461 --> 00:28:35,630
I always send them to her
259
00:28:35,714 --> 00:28:39,425
and ask the people to send me the answer.
260
00:28:40,344 --> 00:28:46,766
And so, I have like,
an archive of answers of people...
261
00:28:46,850 --> 00:28:50,519
of her saying, "We cannot open,"
262
00:28:50,604 --> 00:28:52,355
because in this moment,
263
00:28:52,439 --> 00:28:58,236
she's working on the publishing
of the catalog.
264
00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:01,572
I... Something that I can say,
that she's very serious,
265
00:29:01,657 --> 00:29:04,533
-and she's very consistent.
-[man] I totally agree.
266
00:29:04,618 --> 00:29:09,038
But I don't know why she has decided
267
00:29:09,122 --> 00:29:12,917
not to show this to anyone.
268
00:29:13,001 --> 00:29:15,127
Because it's a matter of control.
269
00:29:15,629 --> 00:29:19,966
Because they bought it. Because
it's a question of money and control.
270
00:29:20,050 --> 00:29:21,926
-[man] And copyright.
-And copyright.
271
00:29:22,010 --> 00:29:27,306
Τhey own the archive,
but there is a moral issue.
272
00:29:27,391 --> 00:29:29,058
-It's a moral issue.
-Moral responsibility.
273
00:29:29,142 --> 00:29:30,559
-And an artistic issue.
-Yeah.
274
00:29:31,436 --> 00:29:34,855
And that's what
can be questioned by the public.
275
00:29:35,857 --> 00:29:40,278
It's her life.
That's why when we talk about, um,
276
00:29:40,362 --> 00:29:45,491
bringing back the archive, it's our dream.
277
00:29:45,575 --> 00:29:48,369
Everybody dreams about that.
278
00:29:48,453 --> 00:29:50,496
[Charpenel] It's absolutely our dream.
279
00:29:50,580 --> 00:29:54,041
But really, really, really...
It's her life.
280
00:29:55,002 --> 00:29:57,253
It's, uh... Τhat's what she does.
281
00:29:58,547 --> 00:30:02,883
And I think you should think
very, very well how to...
282
00:30:04,553 --> 00:30:06,887
-[Charpenel] Approach her.
-To approach.
283
00:30:16,398 --> 00:30:19,817
[Jill] I take the highway
out of the city into the suburbs,
284
00:30:19,901 --> 00:30:22,987
passing Barragán's
Satellite Towers along the way.
285
00:30:39,421 --> 00:30:43,049
At El Bebedero,
I sit on the edge of the empty fountain
286
00:30:43,133 --> 00:30:47,261
and watch the shadows of
the eucalyptus trees flicker on the wall.
287
00:30:52,684 --> 00:30:57,063
I am aware that I'm entering a story
that has not previously involved me...
288
00:30:59,274 --> 00:31:01,942
and that my presence
could affect its future
289
00:31:02,027 --> 00:31:04,320
or of retelling of the past.
290
00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:12,411
The story of Rolf's proposal
and Federica's engagement present
291
00:31:12,496 --> 00:31:13,662
lingers with me.
292
00:31:15,332 --> 00:31:17,958
I imagine the archive as her lover,
293
00:31:18,043 --> 00:31:21,504
held tightly,
to the point of being smothered.
294
00:31:29,179 --> 00:31:33,557
I visit Barragán's chapel,
Las Capuchinas in Tlalpan,
295
00:31:33,642 --> 00:31:37,228
where I am told
Federica sometimes stays when in Mexico.
296
00:31:39,981 --> 00:31:43,901
A nun comes to the door.
She has a chipped tooth.
297
00:31:43,985 --> 00:31:45,694
She will not allow me to film,
298
00:31:45,779 --> 00:31:48,114
even though I have
an appointment to do so.
299
00:31:48,949 --> 00:31:52,410
I ask why, and she says, "Copyright."
300
00:31:56,456 --> 00:31:58,791
I excuse myself to use the bathroom.
301
00:32:01,211 --> 00:32:06,424
Just beyond it, I notice a small room
and quietly wander in.
302
00:32:08,718 --> 00:32:12,096
This is the room Federica stays in
when she is here.
303
00:32:13,723 --> 00:32:16,308
It is almost exactly how I pictured it.
304
00:32:17,477 --> 00:32:19,353
Τhere are two twin beds.
305
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,440
I wonder which one she sleeps in.
306
00:32:23,233 --> 00:32:25,443
I like it here in this room.
307
00:32:29,448 --> 00:32:32,116
When I return,
the nun takes me around to the gift shop
308
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:33,993
where they sell homemade cookies.
309
00:32:34,953 --> 00:32:38,789
I ask which kind Barragán liked best
and buy a bag of them.
310
00:32:44,504 --> 00:32:49,175
Every time I try to find Barragán,
I encounter Federica.
311
00:33:20,957 --> 00:33:24,793
While the foundation's almost complete
control of Barragán's legacy
312
00:33:24,878 --> 00:33:26,253
makes me uncomfortable,
313
00:33:27,255 --> 00:33:31,133
I'm also deeply impressed
by Federica's commitment to him.
314
00:33:55,825 --> 00:34:01,997
If one proposal brought her the archive,
maybe another could help her share it.
315
00:34:52,882 --> 00:34:54,508
[overlapping chatter]
316
00:34:57,679 --> 00:34:59,513
Thank you. I'm Jill Magid.
317
00:34:59,598 --> 00:35:01,682
-Ηello, nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.
318
00:35:01,766 --> 00:35:04,560
Ηello. Υes, I'm Jill. Ηow are you?
319
00:35:04,644 --> 00:35:07,771
-Jill?
-Yes. Nice to see you.
320
00:35:07,856 --> 00:35:11,567
Ηow are you? Τhank you
so much for coming and organizing.
321
00:35:11,651 --> 00:35:14,612
-[indistinct chatter]
-Hello, and thanks to you, Alfonso.
322
00:35:14,696 --> 00:35:18,741
I'm so glad you could all come.
Thank you so much.
323
00:35:18,825 --> 00:35:20,451
-[music playing]
-[inaudible]
324
00:35:21,786 --> 00:35:25,414
[inaudible]
325
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,025
[chatter in Spanish]
326
00:35:54,569 --> 00:35:56,403
[speaking Spanish]
327
00:36:08,166 --> 00:36:10,918
Ηe's asking, um, if...
328
00:36:11,503 --> 00:36:16,840
if we already have an agreement written
down for them to sign,
329
00:36:16,925 --> 00:36:18,300
and what does it say?
330
00:37:20,947 --> 00:37:22,573
[crickets chirping]
331
00:37:32,250 --> 00:37:33,917
[soft guitar music playing]
332
00:37:42,385 --> 00:37:43,802
[Jill] Dear Federica,
333
00:37:45,054 --> 00:37:48,098
I am happy to write you
as I take in the celebrations
334
00:37:48,183 --> 00:37:50,142
preceding the Day of the Dead.
335
00:37:54,939 --> 00:37:58,150
Today I visited
the Panteón Civil de Dolores
336
00:37:58,234 --> 00:38:01,779
and sat on the concentric steps
of the rotunda,
337
00:38:01,863 --> 00:38:05,449
contemplating a huge carpet
of flowers in its center.
338
00:38:07,202 --> 00:38:11,079
I learned that these floral offerings
represent a shared path
339
00:38:11,164 --> 00:38:13,207
between the living and the dead.
340
00:38:18,671 --> 00:38:21,965
I'm realizing I'm inclined
to treat death as somber.
341
00:38:22,759 --> 00:38:25,844
I have to remind myself
that after death is mourned,
342
00:38:25,929 --> 00:38:28,055
legacies may be celebrated.
343
00:38:33,603 --> 00:38:35,813
I hope to meet you someday soon.
344
00:38:36,981 --> 00:38:39,983
For now,
sending you excerpts of my writing
345
00:38:40,068 --> 00:38:41,944
can be a way of keeping in touch
346
00:38:42,028 --> 00:38:45,155
and enjoying together
our affection for Barragán.
347
00:38:46,032 --> 00:38:48,075
Until soon... Jill.
348
00:38:53,498 --> 00:38:58,043
[woman, as Federica] Dear Jill,
thanks for your kind letter of December 2.
349
00:38:58,127 --> 00:39:00,420
I am happy you had the chance to discover
350
00:39:00,505 --> 00:39:03,966
the fascinating tradition
of the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
351
00:39:05,927 --> 00:39:09,847
Did you ever watch the film
made by Charles and Ray Eames
352
00:39:09,931 --> 00:39:11,723
on that same subject?
353
00:39:13,101 --> 00:39:15,060
It is one of my favorites.
354
00:39:22,735 --> 00:39:24,444
And thank you for your company.
355
00:39:24,529 --> 00:39:28,198
I feel definitely less lonely
down in the archives.
356
00:39:28,867 --> 00:39:30,993
All the best... Federica.
357
00:40:32,055 --> 00:40:37,267
[Jill] In honor of the Day of the Dead,
I'm thinking of calling Barragán's ghost.
358
00:40:41,439 --> 00:40:44,524
In the kitchen,
I prepare my first offering.
359
00:40:47,904 --> 00:40:50,447
From a low cabinet, I pull out a plate
360
00:40:50,531 --> 00:40:53,784
and arrange Barragán's
favorite cookies in circles.
361
00:40:54,869 --> 00:40:56,453
Τhere are nine of them.
362
00:41:04,504 --> 00:41:08,006
I pour the remaining crumbs
from the bag into my mouth.
363
00:41:08,758 --> 00:41:10,509
They dissolve on my tongue.
364
00:41:36,244 --> 00:41:39,579
I've made him another offering,
which I'll give him soon.
365
00:41:46,879 --> 00:41:50,132
Across from the bed
and over the record collection
366
00:41:50,216 --> 00:41:53,719
is a very large, dark painting
of the Annunciation.
367
00:41:56,014 --> 00:41:59,516
Τhe canvas is constructed
of two equal parts.
368
00:42:02,770 --> 00:42:07,149
There is something extraordinary violent
about the stitch in the painting.
369
00:42:07,859 --> 00:42:11,862
It cuts right through Mary's hands,
which are held up in prayer.
370
00:42:15,491 --> 00:42:18,368
I want this to be
the last room I spend time in,
371
00:42:18,453 --> 00:42:20,287
in case Luis is here.
372
00:42:28,463 --> 00:42:29,755
[low music playing]
373
00:42:48,983 --> 00:42:50,776
[typewriter clacking]
374
00:43:14,133 --> 00:43:17,177
[electric typewriter clicking]
375
00:43:28,189 --> 00:43:33,318
[typewriter clicking]
376
00:43:35,571 --> 00:43:36,988
[return slides]
377
00:43:37,073 --> 00:43:39,449
[typing on keyboard]
378
00:43:49,335 --> 00:43:50,877
[stamps pounding]
379
00:43:59,178 --> 00:44:01,596
[pen scratching]
380
00:44:20,283 --> 00:44:22,742
[bells clang]
381
00:44:29,375 --> 00:44:31,376
[inaudible]
382
00:44:31,460 --> 00:44:35,422
[buzzes]
383
00:44:39,510 --> 00:44:43,096
[man singing, indistinct]
384
00:44:51,772 --> 00:44:53,440
[indistinct chatter in Spanish]
385
00:44:56,903 --> 00:44:58,612
[hammer bangs]
386
00:45:30,853 --> 00:45:33,396
[tapping]
387
00:46:34,959 --> 00:46:39,296
[sound fades, banging inaudible]
388
00:46:57,106 --> 00:47:00,400
[bricks rattling]
389
00:47:03,279 --> 00:47:05,864
[chatter]
390
00:47:16,751 --> 00:47:18,126
[man speaking Spanish]
391
00:47:36,395 --> 00:47:37,896
[indistinct chatter]
392
00:48:02,213 --> 00:48:03,213
[speaking Spanish]
393
00:48:19,397 --> 00:48:21,147
[chatter continues]
394
00:49:14,201 --> 00:49:15,743
[overlapping chatter]
395
00:50:24,647 --> 00:50:29,984
[man over PA] Swiss International Airlines
754 to Luxembourg
396
00:50:30,069 --> 00:50:33,446
will leave at 1:15 p.m.
397
00:51:06,939 --> 00:51:08,648
-Please take a seat.
-In here? Okay.
398
00:51:08,732 --> 00:51:09,732
Thank you.
399
00:51:12,403 --> 00:51:14,362
So, how was your journey?
Was it a long way?
400
00:51:14,446 --> 00:51:15,989
-Yeah.
-Mexico to Switzerland.
401
00:51:16,073 --> 00:51:21,077
Yes. Um, I'm very relieved to...
402
00:51:21,745 --> 00:51:24,455
Τhis is the container that...
403
00:51:24,540 --> 00:51:26,082
-We gave you.
-I received in the mail.
404
00:51:26,166 --> 00:51:27,166
-Yes.
-Yes.
405
00:51:27,251 --> 00:51:30,503
It was in this really beautiful urn,
406
00:51:30,588 --> 00:51:36,009
um, that the bottom had
patinaed up half of it.
407
00:51:36,093 --> 00:51:38,845
And we were really worried
there weren't enough ashes.
408
00:51:38,929 --> 00:51:41,055
But when we opened it, there were...
409
00:51:41,140 --> 00:51:42,807
It was filled to the top.
410
00:51:42,891 --> 00:51:46,561
-So you have 500 grams?
-I have 530 grams.
411
00:51:46,645 --> 00:51:49,731
-Is what we measured out.
-Perfect. Sounds good.
412
00:51:49,815 --> 00:51:51,399
Just... It's quite old ashes,
413
00:51:51,483 --> 00:51:53,192
-over 30 years.
-Yeah.
414
00:51:53,277 --> 00:51:56,946
And we need just to be sure that
there's enough carbon inside the ashes.
415
00:51:57,031 --> 00:51:59,907
So we will go after to a lab and check.
416
00:51:59,992 --> 00:52:00,867
Okay.
417
00:52:39,573 --> 00:52:42,450
-[man] 525 grams. Perfect.
-[Jill] Good. Okay.
418
00:52:42,534 --> 00:52:44,410
And the rust from the screws.
419
00:52:44,495 --> 00:52:47,914
Somewhere it fall in.
There's a kind of small portion of screw,
420
00:52:47,998 --> 00:52:49,999
iron elements in it.
421
00:52:50,084 --> 00:52:52,627
But they will get off by the chemical...
422
00:52:52,711 --> 00:52:53,878
-procedure.
-Right.
423
00:52:53,962 --> 00:52:55,838
But should I be fearful at all
424
00:52:55,923 --> 00:52:58,299
that there might not
be enough carbon in there
425
00:52:58,384 --> 00:53:00,051
after you looking at it?
426
00:53:00,135 --> 00:53:03,805
Well, you know, I'm really sorry.
I only guarantee by testing.
427
00:53:03,889 --> 00:53:07,725
First we do a test, then we know for sure
the carbon concentration.
428
00:53:07,810 --> 00:53:08,893
Okay.
429
00:53:25,494 --> 00:53:28,162
No, there's absolutely enough carbon.
Don't worry.
430
00:53:28,247 --> 00:53:30,540
We can guarantee you
we will be able to grow it up.
431
00:53:30,624 --> 00:53:31,624
Okay.
432
00:53:32,376 --> 00:53:38,297
[ticking]
433
00:53:47,307 --> 00:53:48,391
[glass clinks]
434
00:54:29,600 --> 00:54:30,975
[music playing]
435
00:54:36,356 --> 00:54:40,193
[Jill] Dear Federica, I hope this mail
finds you somewhere exotic,
436
00:54:40,277 --> 00:54:41,819
enjoying your summer.
437
00:54:41,904 --> 00:54:45,573
I wanted to send you an invitation
to my show at MAZ.
438
00:54:45,657 --> 00:54:49,327
This show will continue my exploration
of Barragán and his legacy.
439
00:54:49,411 --> 00:54:51,913
[woman, as Federica]
Dear Jill, I read about your show.
440
00:54:51,997 --> 00:54:54,999
Many of the issues you raise
are compelling.
441
00:54:55,083 --> 00:54:58,211
The project is indeed
fostering quite a dialogue
442
00:54:58,295 --> 00:55:01,172
at a distance with my own work
on Barragán.
443
00:55:01,256 --> 00:55:05,843
[Jill] As promised, please find enclosed
this gift from my exhibition:
444
00:55:05,928 --> 00:55:08,221
A marked copy of Climates, by André...
445
00:55:08,305 --> 00:55:11,682
[woman, as Federica] Dear Jill, many
thanks for the Maurois book you sent.
446
00:55:11,767 --> 00:55:14,060
What a kind and thoughtful gesture.
447
00:55:14,561 --> 00:55:17,480
I am rereading it in English with delight.
448
00:55:17,564 --> 00:55:20,942
[Jill] I wanted to send you
my favorite one. Yours, Jill.
449
00:55:21,026 --> 00:55:23,402
[woman, as Federica]
If it is true that a book is a dialogue
450
00:55:23,487 --> 00:55:25,988
with oneself and with the author,
451
00:55:26,073 --> 00:55:29,909
it is also true that now,
thanks to your work and empathy,
452
00:55:29,993 --> 00:55:35,248
this dialogue might change into a trio,
or rather, a quartet.
453
00:55:35,332 --> 00:55:37,083
Let's play together.
454
00:55:38,168 --> 00:55:42,713
I look forward to have soon
the occasion to meet you, dear Jill.
455
00:57:01,710 --> 00:57:03,711
[footsteps]
456
00:57:18,685 --> 00:57:20,895
Thank you for coming.
457
00:57:20,979 --> 00:57:24,106
Ηello. [kisses] Good how are you?
458
00:57:24,191 --> 00:57:25,232
Ηi.
459
00:57:26,485 --> 00:57:29,487
[indistinct chatter]
460
00:57:34,076 --> 00:57:37,328
-[speaking indistinctly]
-Hi. I'm so glad to see you.
461
00:57:38,038 --> 00:57:40,039
[chattering in Spanish]
462
00:57:45,170 --> 00:57:47,004
[indistinct chatter continues]
463
00:57:47,714 --> 00:57:51,592
[man speaking Spanish]
464
00:57:53,178 --> 00:57:56,889
[man, in English] We used to be
their mates when they were kids.
465
00:58:52,738 --> 00:58:54,780
[Jill] Dear Federica,
466
00:58:54,865 --> 00:58:58,200
I hope you've had
an inspired start to the new year.
467
00:59:00,203 --> 00:59:02,955
There is an upcoming occasion
in Switzerland
468
00:59:03,040 --> 00:59:05,499
on which I hope we will finally meet.
469
00:59:06,460 --> 00:59:10,713
I would like to invite you to my
exhibition at Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen.
470
00:59:12,382 --> 00:59:15,301
Openings, as you know,
can be crowded and chaotic.
471
00:59:16,136 --> 00:59:18,512
I would be honored
if you would come to St. Gallen
472
00:59:18,597 --> 00:59:20,723
the day before the opening
473
00:59:20,807 --> 00:59:24,435
so we could meet in calmer,
more intimate circumstances.
474
00:59:26,521 --> 00:59:30,566
It would be my pleasure
to organize a dinner for the two of us
475
00:59:30,650 --> 00:59:33,486
and to lead you on
a private tour of the show.
476
00:59:34,780 --> 00:59:38,032
There is something I want
to discuss with you in person.
477
00:59:40,285 --> 00:59:42,286
Ηopefully... Jill.
478
01:00:32,170 --> 01:00:37,091
As I leave,
I feel a wave of fear of what's to come.
479
01:00:59,990 --> 01:01:02,908
[birds tweeting]
480
01:01:06,121 --> 01:01:10,749
[cowbell clanging]
481
01:01:47,579 --> 01:01:53,292
[Jill] Dear Federica, a few weeks ago,
I sent you an invitation in the mail.
482
01:01:53,376 --> 01:01:54,793
Ηave you received it?
483
01:02:06,806 --> 01:02:10,226
I had planned to be in St. Gallen
for the week before my opening
484
01:02:10,310 --> 01:02:11,852
to install the exhibition.
485
01:02:13,855 --> 01:02:18,359
Τhe show is a culmination of three years
of work on Barragán's legacy,
486
01:02:18,443 --> 01:02:22,613
and it is very important
that I share it with you in person
487
01:02:22,697 --> 01:02:24,448
before it opens to the public.
488
01:02:31,831 --> 01:02:35,084
I designed the work firstly for you.
489
01:02:38,922 --> 01:02:40,714
[inaudible]
490
01:03:11,288 --> 01:03:13,205
[spraying water]
491
01:03:24,926 --> 01:03:29,179
[woman, as Federica] Dear Jill,
sorry for not having answered before,
492
01:03:29,264 --> 01:03:32,766
but yes,
I have received your kind invitation,
493
01:03:32,851 --> 01:03:36,603
and I am very sorry to say that I have
unfortunately another commitment
494
01:03:36,688 --> 01:03:38,480
in the first days of June.
495
01:03:41,109 --> 01:03:44,278
I assume you will stay
in Switzerland a few days more
496
01:03:44,362 --> 01:03:46,530
and possibly would come to Basel?
497
01:03:48,825 --> 01:03:51,744
[Jill] I was excited for you
to come to the Kunst Halle,
498
01:03:51,828 --> 01:03:55,205
but if it's not feasible for you,
I'm happy to come to Basel.
499
01:03:55,874 --> 01:03:58,334
Shall I meet you
at the Barragan Foundation?
500
01:04:00,962 --> 01:04:03,255
[woman, as Federica]
Let's meet at the VitraHaus café
501
01:04:03,340 --> 01:04:06,091
on the Vitra campus in Weil am Rhein.
502
01:04:06,926 --> 01:04:08,635
Τhe coffee is pretty good there,
503
01:04:08,720 --> 01:04:12,222
and I look forward to having
a nice slice of cake with you.
504
01:04:13,266 --> 01:04:15,684
[music playing]
505
01:05:13,493 --> 01:05:15,786
[Jill] I am not nervous
leading up to our meeting.
506
01:05:16,788 --> 01:05:20,999
My mind is calm, my body poised and ready.
507
01:05:22,419 --> 01:05:27,256
The fear and recklessness I felt
in anticipation of this moment is gone.
508
01:05:28,675 --> 01:05:30,551
Now that it is time to perform,
509
01:05:31,302 --> 01:05:32,678
I am in my element.
510
01:05:33,721 --> 01:05:36,223
I no longer hear anything else around me.
511
01:05:44,023 --> 01:05:47,359
I position myself at a table
on the terrace early,
512
01:05:47,444 --> 01:05:49,736
before our appointment of 1:00 p.m.
513
01:05:50,447 --> 01:05:51,697
The rain is passing.
514
01:05:52,490 --> 01:05:55,492
Against all predictions,
the sun is coming out.
515
01:05:57,120 --> 01:06:01,039
My bare legs suddenly feel light
rather than exposed.
516
01:06:02,208 --> 01:06:05,335
It is the perfect place
to be filmed unobtrusively
517
01:06:05,420 --> 01:06:06,795
with a long lens.
518
01:06:11,801 --> 01:06:14,803
And then, unexpectedly,
Federica comes out.
519
01:06:16,556 --> 01:06:20,517
We kiss on both cheeks.
She has to bend down to kiss me.
520
01:06:22,061 --> 01:06:24,563
She is as tall as I imagined her being.
521
01:06:24,647 --> 01:06:28,400
Her skin is soft
and the same temperature as my lips.
522
01:06:30,570 --> 01:06:33,322
She says, "We are already inside."
523
01:06:36,618 --> 01:06:39,536
I had not expected
she would come with her husband.
524
01:06:50,465 --> 01:06:53,050
Τhe chair they offer me
is across from Rolf,
525
01:06:53,134 --> 01:06:54,468
not Federica.
526
01:06:56,971 --> 01:06:58,514
She sits next to him.
527
01:07:05,230 --> 01:07:07,272
I force myself to listen to them
528
01:07:07,357 --> 01:07:10,400
and not frantically reconsider
what I'm going to say
529
01:07:10,485 --> 01:07:12,152
and how I'm going to say it.
530
01:07:18,993 --> 01:07:20,994
Before the coffee arrives, I say,
531
01:07:21,079 --> 01:07:22,913
"I should talk to you
about what I'm here for
532
01:07:22,997 --> 01:07:24,081
and what I want to show you.""
533
01:07:26,793 --> 01:07:30,128
I take the box out of my purse
and open the lid.
534
01:07:31,256 --> 01:07:35,759
I set it down in the center of the table,
angled towards Federica.
535
01:08:08,209 --> 01:08:11,670
I explain that I had planned
to read a letter to Federica,
536
01:08:11,754 --> 01:08:15,382
but that I don't feel
comfortable reading it now with Rolf here.
537
01:08:17,260 --> 01:08:20,095
Rolf jokes that he can leave
to use the bathroom.
538
01:08:21,347 --> 01:08:23,849
I consider this, but it seems forced.
539
01:08:27,145 --> 01:08:28,729
Federica teases.
540
01:08:28,813 --> 01:08:32,524
"It must be hard to offer this to me
with my husband sitting right next to me."
541
01:08:33,443 --> 01:08:36,028
And I say, "Yes, actually it is."
542
01:08:41,034 --> 01:08:44,536
Rolf asks what exactly it is
that I'm proposing.
543
01:08:48,750 --> 01:08:51,585
I explain that for Federica
to receive this gift,
544
01:08:51,669 --> 01:08:54,546
she must relocate the archive to Mexico.
545
01:08:54,631 --> 01:08:56,882
She can accept this offer at any time.
546
01:09:02,096 --> 01:09:06,808
I say, "I think it is beautiful
whether she accepts this gift or not."
547
01:09:06,893 --> 01:09:08,018
They agree.
548
01:09:12,982 --> 01:09:17,235
And then I give Federica my letter,
and she puts it in her bag.
549
01:09:29,290 --> 01:09:33,794
Afterwards, I buy a lot of things
at the Vitra store right as it's closing.
550
01:09:34,796 --> 01:09:38,548
I need something to prove to myself
that today happened.
551
01:09:40,968 --> 01:09:42,427
But what happened?
552
01:09:44,138 --> 01:09:49,267
Τhe euphoric feeling I had in the store
changes on the two-hour route back home.
553
01:09:51,354 --> 01:09:55,899
I was opened and exposed
the way skin is after being steamed,
554
01:09:55,983 --> 01:09:57,943
everything open and vulnerable.
555
01:10:14,419 --> 01:10:17,379
Τhe exhibition
opens to the public tomorrow.
556
01:10:18,423 --> 01:10:20,298
All the works are in place.
557
01:10:22,969 --> 01:10:25,262
I wonder if Federica will come
558
01:10:25,346 --> 01:10:28,473
and how she will feel
about a copy of the letter I gave her
559
01:10:28,558 --> 01:10:30,434
being included in the show.
560
01:10:33,646 --> 01:10:37,899
I designed the show for her,
but not for her alone.
561
01:10:38,985 --> 01:10:40,819
[newscaster speaking Spanish]
562
01:10:50,705 --> 01:10:52,164
[speaking Spanish]
563
01:11:19,942 --> 01:11:22,402
[newscaster speaking Spanish]
564
01:11:47,053 --> 01:11:52,390
[speaking Spanish]
565
01:12:27,218 --> 01:12:28,760
[music playing]
566
01:13:09,886 --> 01:13:13,597
[speaking Spanish]
567
01:14:58,786 --> 01:15:02,831
[Jill] Federica's response
to me was published in the Mexican press.
568
01:15:05,668 --> 01:15:09,045
[woman, as Federica]
Dear Jill, in your most recent letter,
569
01:15:09,130 --> 01:15:15,427
you write, "We both know how stories form:
Part truth, part speculation."
570
01:15:16,554 --> 01:15:20,306
I couldn't agree more,
particularly in relation to the story
571
01:15:20,391 --> 01:15:23,351
you have concocted
about the Barragán archives.
572
01:15:24,145 --> 01:15:26,938
In fact,
you have turned speculation into art
573
01:15:27,023 --> 01:15:31,317
and, in the process, you have transformed
me into a character of fiction.
574
01:15:32,153 --> 01:15:35,864
Τherefore, my real self
is irrelevant to your project,
575
01:15:35,948 --> 01:15:39,075
and my actual participation unnecessary.
576
01:15:39,827 --> 01:15:44,122
You are far better served
by your own imagination.
577
01:15:55,426 --> 01:15:57,761
[Jill] Over these past three years,
578
01:15:57,845 --> 01:16:00,722
I have thoroughly enjoyed
our written exchanges.
579
01:16:03,517 --> 01:16:07,437
Τhroughout them,
I've imagined Barragán peering down at us
580
01:16:07,521 --> 01:16:09,481
from the top of his stairs.
581
01:16:11,192 --> 01:16:14,069
Does he mock our efforts,
or is he charmed?
582
01:16:19,450 --> 01:16:22,702
I've pondered the same about
your feelings towards me.
583
01:16:23,704 --> 01:16:27,791
Is it possible for you
to know the sincerity of my intentions?
584
01:16:30,211 --> 01:16:34,089
You once explained to me
that you approach Barragán as a scholar.
585
01:16:34,673 --> 01:16:36,424
I do as an artist.
586
01:16:40,846 --> 01:16:45,767
But Luis was a man and an architect
that neither of us ever knew personally.
587
01:16:49,146 --> 01:16:55,819
Even if we had, he would remain human
and incomplete, as you have been for me.
588
01:17:00,908 --> 01:17:02,617
You are right, Federica.
589
01:17:03,410 --> 01:17:05,370
We all play roles in this story.
590
01:17:06,372 --> 01:17:08,706
Call it fiction, call it scholarship.
591
01:17:10,417 --> 01:17:14,212
Either way,
the questions of access remain.
592
01:17:24,223 --> 01:17:26,224
Did you ever visit the show?
593
01:17:27,226 --> 01:17:29,435
And where did you read my letter?
594
01:17:31,647 --> 01:17:35,859
I imagine you down in the archive...
595
01:17:36,986 --> 01:17:38,695
opening the envelope.
596
01:17:48,080 --> 01:17:49,873
Dearest Federica,
597
01:17:50,916 --> 01:17:53,668
I thank you, infinitely,
598
01:17:55,045 --> 01:18:01,176
as it was you who led me to Barragán,
and Barragán who brought me back to you.
599
01:18:04,221 --> 01:18:08,725
My interest in you began with a story
that was told to me like this:
600
01:18:10,227 --> 01:18:12,770
You fell in love with Barragán's work.
601
01:18:13,647 --> 01:18:18,193
You brought Rolf, at the time,
your boyfriend, to Mexico to see it.
602
01:18:19,403 --> 01:18:22,530
Soon after, Rolf proposed marriage.
603
01:18:23,282 --> 01:18:27,660
You agreed, but told him
that, rather than an engagement ring,
604
01:18:27,745 --> 01:18:29,829
you wanted Barragán's archive.
605
01:18:32,750 --> 01:18:35,668
I cannot account for
the accuracy of this story,
606
01:18:35,753 --> 01:18:37,670
although I heard it many times.
607
01:18:38,547 --> 01:18:43,384
We both know how stories form:
Part truth, part speculation.
608
01:18:57,191 --> 01:19:00,568
As an artist,
I've imagined what it would be like
609
01:19:00,653 --> 01:19:06,532
for a corporation to buy the rights
to my name and work after I have died.
610
01:19:10,204 --> 01:19:15,166
It frightens me that my identity
and authorship could be co-opted
611
01:19:15,251 --> 01:19:18,211
and restricted to a single interpretation.
612
01:19:46,991 --> 01:19:52,120
I do not question the care or commitment
you've shown the archive.
613
01:19:53,163 --> 01:19:55,498
But you have also become its obstacle.
614
01:19:57,584 --> 01:20:01,129
It is you alone who permits
access to Barragán's work,
615
01:20:01,213 --> 01:20:02,714
or denies it.
616
01:20:07,469 --> 01:20:11,347
And so,
it is with great admiration for your work
617
01:20:11,432 --> 01:20:16,269
and my heartfelt hope that the archive
in Switzerland will be made accessible
618
01:20:16,353 --> 01:20:18,688
that I come to you with this proposal.
619
01:20:20,733 --> 01:20:22,525
[music builds]
620
01:20:44,798 --> 01:20:47,633
I offer you a ring.
621
01:20:52,222 --> 01:20:55,600
It is inspired by the ring
that you negotiated with
622
01:20:55,684 --> 01:20:59,520
for Barragán's archive
at the moment of your engagement.
623
01:21:03,442 --> 01:21:06,027
The mounting holds a diamond in the rough,
624
01:21:06,904 --> 01:21:10,740
grown from the cremated remains
of Barragán's body.
625
01:21:20,751 --> 01:21:21,918
Federica...
626
01:21:22,878 --> 01:21:27,590
I am proposing to give you Barragán
in another form.
627
01:21:30,844 --> 01:21:34,639
This is a gift
which requests a gift in turn.
628
01:21:36,558 --> 01:21:41,062
The ring will always be available to you,
and to you alone,
629
01:21:41,146 --> 01:21:45,817
whenever you are ready to open the archive
to the public in Mexico.
630
01:21:50,864 --> 01:21:55,159
You once confided in me
that you were lonely down in the archive.
631
01:21:56,870 --> 01:22:01,749
With this ring, I propose
that you needn't feel lonely anymore.
632
01:22:03,377 --> 01:22:05,169
I await your response.
633
01:22:07,214 --> 01:22:09,632
As ever... Jill.
634
01:22:14,638 --> 01:22:16,973
[music playing]