New documentary: The Bauhaus Code
More than 100 years after its founding, the Bauhaus philosophy is once again facing criticism. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is not only calling into question public funding for the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, but also its role and influence within the German cultural landscape. The history of the Bauhaus shows just how closely cultural developments are linked to political changes. What is regarded as a social alternative and what forms of artistic freedom are possible are constantly being renegotiated – today just as in the past.
The documentary “The Bauhaus Code” looks at the Bauhaus not only as a design style, but as a social and cultural stance. It traces its development from Weimar to Dessau and its subsequent global spread, connecting the utopian ideas of the 1920s with contemporary questions of sustainability and social responsibility. In doing so, it critically examines the Bauhaus legacy and its vision of using design to make the world a better place.
Aus Weimar in die Welt
The influence of the Bauhaus school can still be felt around the world today. What began in Weimar in 1919 was more than a new school of design: the Bauhaus sought to rethink design, challenge established traditions and redefine the relationship between people and their environment.
Produced by Jörg Pfeifer, the documentary follows the Bauhaus through Weimar, Dessau and Berlin, tracing the development of its ideas and their subsequent spread around the world. It tells the story of a period of profound social change and the search for new ways of living together, as well as the political conflicts that ultimately led to the school’s closure under National Socialism. At the same time, the film explores how the Bauhaus legacy continues to shape the present day.
Through a dynamic interplay of documentary footage, animated photographs, interviews and archival material, the film connects historical developments with contemporary debates. At its centre are the ways in which we shape our environment and the social responsibility of design and architecture. The utopian ideas of the 1920s are brought into dialogue with contemporary debates on sustainability, social responsibility and the future of our cities. “The Bauhaus Code” is a visual exploration of a legacy that continues to exist between utopia and reality, social change and political resistance. The film shows how Bauhaus ideas continue to live on in contemporary projects and visions for our cities.
