SYNOPSIS
The flight time of the bomb describes absolute nothingness, the zero hour, consisting of all the possibilities that in just a moment will no longer exist. Thus, this story will end before it has begun; here it is told in defiance: an architectural journey from Berlin through Arromanches, Rome, Wroc©©aw, Görlitz, Paris, Bologna, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Atlántida, Montevideo, Mexico City, Brasilia, Tokyo, Saipan, Tinian, Tokyo, San Francisco, Dallas, Binz and Mexico City back to Berlin.
REVIEW
"Imagine an airspace into which a bomb has been dropped. The bomb has not reached the site of its detonation, but there is no way to stop its speedy approach. ¡¦ The flight time of the bomb thus describes absolute nothingness, the zero hour, consisting of all the possibilities that in just a moment will no longer exist." This chilling quote, capturing the temporality of a weapon that destroys everything—including itself—sets the tone for Heinz Emigholz's The Airstrip. The film opens with a statue of Prometheus bound, gazing skyward at the eagle descending to ravage his innards, establishing a powerful visual metaphor. Emigholz's journey begins in Berlin, traversing various countries in Europe, the United States, Japan, and South America, before returning to its starting point. Along the way, he assembles images of architectural structures that transform this scene from ancient Greek mythology into a potent commentary on modern history's most destructive aspects. The Airstrip showcases buildings that narrowly survived World War II bombings in Europe, structures erected by post-war European immigrants in South America, and monuments commemorating the atomic bomb's tragedy. These sites collectively bear witness to the brutal modernity of the 20th century—a time marked by the complex entanglement of war, capital, nations, and ideologies. Complementing the visual narrative is the avant-garde and nuanced music of German band Kreidler, long-time collaborators with Emigholz, perfectly employed throughout the film. The Airstrip is part of the "Photography and Beyond" series and the third installment in the "Decampment of Modernism" series, offering a unique blend of architectural documentation and historical reflection that invites viewers to contemplate the physical and metaphorical remnants of a turbulent century.