Rams

Gary Hustwit's 2018 documentary is about the product designer Dieter Rams. Over more than fifty years he designed electronics and furniture, and his approach, built on plainness, shaped later generations. The starting point is a regret. Past eighty, Rams says he is troubled by how many objects are produced; the narrative discusses directly how design accelerated consumption. Rams was filmed in his own house and workshop, with the objects shown one by one. The music is by Brian Eno. The narrative does not settle for summarising a career and leaves the question of sustainability open. Who it's for: those who like design history and object-centred documentary. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a fast telling; the film uses static shots and long silences.