Erickson on Film Series Pays Cinematic Tribute to Visionary Architect (June 14-18)

VIFF Centre: Vancity Theatre is hosting a celebration of influential architect Arthur Erickson’s centenary with Erickson on Film, three special programs guest-curated by architecture critic/historian Trevor Boddy. On June 14 at 7 p.m., the 100th anniversary of Erickson’s birth in Vancouver, Boddy will give a talk on the architect’s life, followed by a screening of Mark Rydell’s 1993 film “Intersection,” which stars Richard Gere and Sharon Stone as a husband and wife architect team. Erickson’s designs and work, including UBC’s Museum of Anthropology, are heavily featured in the film. Producer Christine Haebler, who was a location scout on the Rydell film, and Nick Milkovich, an Erickson associate who was involved in the making of the film, will be on hand to discuss the production. A second program screening on several different dates features two documentary films dedicated to Erickson’s work, Michele Smolkin’s 2002 profile “Concrete Poetry” and Colin Waugh’s 2023 film, “Arthur Erickson’s Dyde House.” A final program on June 18 at 8 p.m. is devoted to major public buildings designed by Erickson, including Lethbridge University, Robson Square, and the Simon Fraser University campus. Boddy will discuss Erickson’s legacy in concrete structures with Geoffrey Erickson, the architect’s nephew, followed by a screening of the Hollywood sci-fi thriller “The Groundstar Conspiracy,” which was mostly shot in and around SFU in 1972. Tickets are available from the VIFF Centre: Vancity Theatre’s website.