Museums are closed, cinemas too. Travelling is hardly possible these days. Do you also feel the need to get to grips with design or architecture again in an intensive, pleasurable or entertaining way? Would you like to experience something new or refresh a memory? The online magazine luxurydefined from Christie’s International Real Estate has rounded up seven iconic design and architecture movies, television shows, and documentaries that are perfect for fans of visual culture.
Why not follow that wonderful television series Côte d’Azur on Amazon Prime or Netflix, with its stunning seaside scenes, jaw-dropping artwork, and incredible architecture – a lavish tour de force of the kind you’d ordinarily expect to see at the movies.
Or dive into the 17th century and be inspired by the beloved series chronicles the fictional Crawley family’s lavish lives inside Downton Abbey, a sprawling English estate (on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes and Peacock).
You could also proof that you need not head to the movies for your architecture and design fix, Mad Men has all the hallmarks of a Mid-Century Modern masterpiece—think everything from Herman Miller office chairs to a bar cart stocked for midday martinis (Amazon Prime).
And if you prefer it more serious, why not spend some time with a documentary, that captures the extraordinary collaboration of husband-and-wife designers Charles and Ray Eames, the pair behind the Eames chair — a seat so impressive that Time magazine deemed it “the greatest design of the 20th century.” («Eames: The Architect and the Painter» on Amazon Prime)
Are you more the romantic type? Than we recommend you the visual masterpiece Amélie where a young woman, played by Audrey Tautou, who is determined to bring happiness and cheer to whomever she meets, despite her rocky past. Shot in 80 scene-stealing locations throughout Paris, this quirky visual masterpiece was named the one of the best shot movies of the decade by American Cinematographer magazine, and offers a chance to revel in the architecture of the French capital (Amazon Prime, iTunes).
In 1996, The Birdcage — starring Nathan Lane and the late Robin Williams, who plays an eccentric, gay cabaret owner — drew as much attention for its portrayal of the Art Deco Historic District in South Beach as for its plot about a gay couple pretending to be straight to appease their son’s future in-laws (Amazon Prime, Google Play or iTunes).
And last but not least have a look at one of the world’s most respected art dealers, Philip Mould. He is perhaps best known for being the star of BBC’s Fake or Fortune?, the most-watched arts program in the U.K. In his series of short movies «Philip Mould: Art in Isolation», he takes viewers on a tour of the glorious architecture of Duck End—the restored 17th-century manor house in Oxfordshire, England, which he shares with his wife Catherine (on his website or on YouTube).
More movies with similar content you can find on our related article Seven films in which interior design plays an important role.