A Arquitetura da Unidade

A couple of weeks ago (November 22nd, to be exact), the Brazilian public television station TV Cultura aired a 54-minute documentary entitled A Arquitetura da Unidade ("The Architecture of Unity"). This documentary showed the architecture of the Bahá'í Temples around the world and of the Holy Shrines in Haifa, included interviews with people who serve in Langenhain, Wilmette, and Bahapur, showed clips of various Bahá'í choirs singing in the Temples, and officially announced the construction of the new Temple in Chile. Unfortunately, I was unable to watch it, but the friends who did have the opportunity have all said it was spectacular. I am hoping it will be re-aired.

This is the second documentary about the Bahá'í Faith produced by TV Cultura, the first being Seguidores da Glória ("Followers of the Glory") which was first shown in 2003.

Here is my attempt at translating an interview with the program's creator, journalist Vicente Adorno. All errors in translation are 100% mine (the original Portuguese version can be found here.)

What were your personal impressions of the Bahá'í Temple in Frankfurt?

Adorno -What attracted my attention the most was the fact that the Temple is in a very tranquil, practically rural, area and it stands out as a modern and hospitable landmark in the middle of the traditional landscape of the region. I was very impressed by the perfect acoustics inside the temple and with the impeccable organizationl structure around it.

How was your contact with the German architect?

Adorno - We were afraid that Teuto Rocholl was not going to be able to appear because his wife had suffered an accident and had been hospitalized. But the architect graciously made time to come from Frankfurt to Langenhain to record our interview. He was extremely cordial, very clear in his explanations and he became happy when I told him that the temple was a perfect combination of architectural daring, having a lot of light and a very welcoming aspect, and at the same time classical tradition, because it made us feel, despite all of its modern stylings, that it invited us to reflect - it is a house of prayer in the oldest and fullest sense that we know, reclothed in a contemporary form.

What were your personal impressions of the Bahá'í Temple in New Delhi?

Adorno - The Lotus Temple is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen in my life. It appears to grow naturally out of the landscape while at the same time opposing it, because it represents an oasis of serenity in the middle of the frenetic agitation of the Indian capital, today one of the largest "human anthills" on the planet. The best proof that its audacious and magnificent form accomplishes what was hoped for in its original design is that thousands and thousands of people are enchanted daily by this monument of incredible beauty and they leave it visibly moved, at ease with themselves and with life. And more, despite the great number who have visited, not one incident has been registered. Aggressiveness seems to dissipate as people comtemplate the stylized lotus that dominates its surroundings.

What were your personal impressions of the Bahá'í Temple in Chicago?

Adorno - In my conversation with the architect, Bob Armbruster, who is responsible for the restoration and conservation of the Wilmette Temple, I spontaneously used the expression "intricate embroiderings" to refer to the ornaments that cover the entire edifice and, more, to say that I considered these ornaments to be an ingenious way of beautifying the building while at the same time making it such that it will always be full of light. He smiled and told me that this was exactly the effect planned by architect Louis Bourgeous. And the location chosen, at the shore of an enormous lake that separates the United States from Canada, is really very beautiful. The building is integrated well within the landscape as an architectural landmark and as a house of prayer.

What drew your attention most about the Bahá'í Temples?

Adorno - In all of them, I was impressed by the beauty and perfection of the construction, the preocupation in following a well-defined model but with attention to the characteristics of each place and the extremely hospitable atmosphere. I was also drawn to the care and dedication of all of the people involved in the administration and maintenance of the temple.

How much time was spent in the editing of this documentary?

Adorno - With various interruptions, about 9 months. We could have concluded the work in less time, if our infrastructure were a little more adequate. Our documentary department has a series of projects in progress and should have many more on its plate for next year - our team, however, has remained quite small for so much work. But in some ways the delay was good, because, with the help of Flávio Rassekh, our ideas for the script matured and we arrived at a harmonious consensus regarding the program's final form.

Whose voices are used in the documentary?

Adorno - For this job we invited some of the professionals in the service of the Padre Anchieta Foundation. Valéria Grillo, with her habitual brilliance, performed the narration of the principal passages. Carlos Oliveira is the voice that introduces the concepts that orient each of the segments; Hélio Vaccari dubbed the masculine figures, and Madeleine Alves, the feminine. In other words, a team without defect.

How was your visit to the Bahá'í office at the United Nations, and your contact with Ms. Bani Dugal?

Adorno - I insisted from the beginning that we had to also go to New York because I felt that the Bahá'í presence at the UN has been little known and deserved to have fuller recognition, because of its pioneering spirit and because of the many aspects covered by the actions of the Bahá'ís in this international body - which is perfectly in accord with the fundamental concepts of the Bahá'í Faith itself, connected to the principle of "the Earth is one county." Ms. Bani Dugal is an extremely busy person but also showed us great generosity and invited us to a short but very enlightening interview. I believe that a good number of our viewers will feel enthusiastic about the marked participation of the Bahá'ís at the UN and with the fact that they are represented by a woman - who is serious and compentent, by all appearances.