Frank Lloyd Wright Documentary Films

[flwromanza]

To My Fellow Fans of Frank Lloyd Wright-
Just wanted to let you all know of the world premiere of my third Frank Lloyd Wright documentary, "Romanza the Buildings of California designed by Frank Lloyd Wright", Friday October 21st, in Glendale, California, where we presented the re-built Eddie's doghouse, the smallest structure and only doghouse ever designed by Wright. I am now booking a lecture and screening tour across the country for 2012 and would love to hear from those of you in different parts of the country and get your feedback.

In some areas, I will be screening one of my previous 2 films, "Sacred Spaces" on Wright's religious architecture, or, "A Child of the Sun" on the Florida Southern College campus in place of or in addition to Romanza.

These 2 films are available on DVD at my website or at your local Wright public building gift shop.

Please let me hear from you!
Michael Miner

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[egads]

Is this the site you wanted to link to?

http://www.designedbyfranklloydwright.com/

[Reidy]

Will you post a schedule of appearances here or on your site?

[Paul Ringstrom]

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[Paul Ringstrom]

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[flwromanza]

Yes, that is the website. It would not let me include the address because it was my first post to the message board.
My email address is now on.
The lecture schedule that was posted is actually from 2 or 3 years ago when I toured with "A Child of the Sun," so please disregard that.
Finally, I will post a tour schedule as one is formed. Right now, I only have a few dates. It would be greatly helpful if those of you interested in seeing the films can contact your local chapter of the American Institute of Architects or architectural school and request that they book an event with me.
Also, as I am not very computer savvy, I will try to post more information about the new film and the premiere when my wife is able to help me do so.

[cesily]

I wanted to buy a copy of Romanza. Will you be selling them during your tour?

[ekb]

I would like to comment on Romanza. My parents house (Berger House) is one of the structures featured ,so I was involved in that part. I have been to 3 Wright buildings other than my own(Marin Civic, Morris Gift and Guggenhiem). Michael does a wonderful job of showing Wrights structures and the stories behind them. I don't know how his research could be better. His representation of my parents story is perfect to the point that tears happen every time I have watched it. What is so great about a movie is the camera moves showing the buildings in different angles and changing light. It is amazing that Mr Wright imagined on paper the beauty of his buildings. I have seen still photos of many of the structures (Romanza by Gebhard and Zimmerman) but I was not as amazed as when I saw the movie. Also discussed are the countless comissions that were never built. I heartily give Romanza 5 stars.

[FarmerBill]

Is the new documentary
"Romanza, The California Structures Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright," based on the book by the similar name
Romanza: The California Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright by David Gebhard and Scot Zimmerman,
or was it done independently?
Did Wright coin the term "romanza" himself to describe his California work?

I don't know how his research could be better. His representation of my parents story is perfect ...

ekb -- Did the film producers interview you and your brother about your family's story?

[ekb]

Michael interviewed my sister, my 2 brothers and me extensively. He filmed the house quite a few different times and looked at the hundreds of photos that my dad had taken during the construction , some of which he used .The film reminds me very much of a Ken Burns movie.

[flwromanza]

To Eric, thank you for the kind words.
To Cesily, I won't have DVD copies of Romanza available for sale until about a year from now, after the national tour, although I will have copies of my first 2 films, "Sacred Spaces" and "A Child of the Sun".
To Farmer Bill, "Romanza" is not based on the book of the same name, but an independent film. The word is the logical title for any work based on Wright's California buildings. As for the term Romanza, it is somewhat enigmatic as used by Wright. Although he attempts to "explain" it's meaning in 10 to 12 pages of his autobiography, you understand it less after reading these pages than you did before, a problem that is encountered in much of Wright's written work.
In addition to the Berger family, I also interviewed 2 of the Frank children about growing up in the Bazett house, as well as Eric Lloyd Wright about his experiences with Father and Grandfather. Their first person insight gives our film a unique resonance, different from the dry scholarly analysis usually found in these types of films.

[Patryko]

I just saw the trailer and really enjoyed the manner you have paired music with Wright California images in a dramatic manner! Since Mr. Wright loved classical music so much, he would have been proud!

[flwromanza]

Patryko, we use Classical music to score each of the individual buildings in my films. The first film used specific pieces Mr. Wright had acknowledged as his favorites. In the second and third we have expanded to other works, but choose those that perfectly underscore the building or the story topic we are featuring, trying to make a perfect marriage of music and building.

[flwromanza]

Our first two screenings of "Romanza" have been scheduled. Sunday, March 25th, 12:30 & 2:30 PM at the Illinois State Museum Thorne Deuel Auditorium
502 S. Spring St., Springfield, Ill. 62706. Admission free. Hope to see you locals there.
Though specific dates not yet confirmed, I will also be visiting Florida, Iowa, and Colorado in April (Architecture month). Will update schedule.

[flwromanza]

2 new dates.

April 15th Jacksonville, Fla. A triple feature of all 3 films, "Sacred Spaces", "A Child of the Sun", and "Romanza". Venue to be announced.

April 17th Gainesville, Fla. "Romanza" Hippodrome theater 7:00 PM