World Cinema Showcase

Gary Hustwit’s credentials as a commentator on design matters were established immediately by his Helevtica, the surprise hit of the 2007 NZIFF. His new film Urbanized applies the same deft visual style to the subject of urban design. As more and more of the world’s population congregate in cities, what is being done to make the modern metropolis sustainable – let alone liveable? Packing a great deal of the world into an action-packed tour, Hustwit and a cast of influential planners and experts look at some of the most inventive approaches to these issues, along with some of the more problematic.

“Even viewers with deep knowledge of modern urban planning are likely to learn something from the carefully selected images and thoughtful interviews that make up most of Urbanized,” says NY Times critic A. O. Scott.