I Build the Tower
Encyclopedia
I Build the Tower is a feature-length documentary film
depicting the life of Sabato Rodia (also known as Sam Rodia and Simon Rodia), the Italian immigrant who created the Watts Towers
in South Los Angeles
.
The film has been recognized by Robert Koehler in Variety
as "the most complete visual account of Rodia and his masterpiece".
Together they started production by filming the last recorded interview with architect, designer and futurist Buckminster Fuller
, three months before his death in 1983. Hailing Rodia as "one of the greatest sculptors of the twentieth century", Fuller analyzed Rodia's intuitive understanding of aesthetics and natural engineering principles.
The filmmakers went on to shoot their film throughout Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area and southern Italy, and managed to sustain the vitality of their work while waiting years for the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department to remove the scaffolding erected for the restoration of the towers.
The narrative of the documentary is drawn from audio interviews of Rodia recorded in the early 1960s. In his own words and voice, Rodia himself chronicles his redemption from alcoholism and despair to a fierce determination to build "something big". The story is filled out by recent interviews with relatives, neighbors and other witnesses who have come into close contact with the Watts Towers, including artist John Outterbridge and historian Mike Davis
. Phil Proctor of the Firesign Theater gives voice to historic trial proceedings involving Rodia.
The film's musical score is based on the opera arias of Giuseppe Verdi
– the music Rodia loved – and spans the time and distance from nineteenth century Italy to present-day Los Angeles. The classical score was arranged and conducted by noted silent film music composer Robert Israel. Jazz pianist Nate Morgan composed an original jazz score using Verdi's themes and performed by Morgan's ensemble. Filmmakers Byer and Landler conceived a hip-hop song incorporating Rodia's own voice as lead vocal, backed up by jazz vocalists Dwight Trible and Logan Johnson, Jr., set to music by Michael Abels
.
In April, 2009, I Build the Tower was the opening presentation of "Art and Migration: Sabato Rodia's Watts Towers in Los Angeles", the first international conference on the Watts Towers. The conference was held in Genoa, Italy, sponsored by the University of Genoa
and the U.C.L.A. International Institute.
as "wonderful, lyrical and compelling", and by film critic Leonard Maltin
as "heartfelt and fascinating... a real discovery".
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
depicting the life of Sabato Rodia (also known as Sam Rodia and Simon Rodia), the Italian immigrant who created the Watts Towers
Watts Towers
The Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet . The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato Rodia in his spare time over a period of...
in South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
.
The film has been recognized by Robert Koehler in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
as "the most complete visual account of Rodia and his masterpiece".
Production
Completed in 2006, I Build the Tower was directed, written and produced by Edward Landler and Brad Byer. The project was initiated by Byer's extensive research into the life of Rodia, his great-uncle. With exclusive access to a wealth of family materials, Byer teamed up with independent filmmaker Edward Landler who had been working with Watts community groups for several years.Together they started production by filming the last recorded interview with architect, designer and futurist Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....
, three months before his death in 1983. Hailing Rodia as "one of the greatest sculptors of the twentieth century", Fuller analyzed Rodia's intuitive understanding of aesthetics and natural engineering principles.
The filmmakers went on to shoot their film throughout Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area and southern Italy, and managed to sustain the vitality of their work while waiting years for the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department to remove the scaffolding erected for the restoration of the towers.
The narrative of the documentary is drawn from audio interviews of Rodia recorded in the early 1960s. In his own words and voice, Rodia himself chronicles his redemption from alcoholism and despair to a fierce determination to build "something big". The story is filled out by recent interviews with relatives, neighbors and other witnesses who have come into close contact with the Watts Towers, including artist John Outterbridge and historian Mike Davis
Mike Davis (scholar)
Mike Davis is an American Marxist social commentator, urban theorist, historian, and political activist. He is best known for his investigations of power and social class in his native Southern California.-Life:...
. Phil Proctor of the Firesign Theater gives voice to historic trial proceedings involving Rodia.
The film's musical score is based on the opera arias of Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
– the music Rodia loved – and spans the time and distance from nineteenth century Italy to present-day Los Angeles. The classical score was arranged and conducted by noted silent film music composer Robert Israel. Jazz pianist Nate Morgan composed an original jazz score using Verdi's themes and performed by Morgan's ensemble. Filmmakers Byer and Landler conceived a hip-hop song incorporating Rodia's own voice as lead vocal, backed up by jazz vocalists Dwight Trible and Logan Johnson, Jr., set to music by Michael Abels
Michael Abels
Michael Abels is an American composer. Abels was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and studied at the University of Southern California. His best known work is Global Warming...
.
In April, 2009, I Build the Tower was the opening presentation of "Art and Migration: Sabato Rodia's Watts Towers in Los Angeles", the first international conference on the Watts Towers. The conference was held in Genoa, Italy, sponsored by the University of Genoa
University of Genoa
The University of Genoa is one of the largest universities in Italy.Located in Liguria on the Italian Riviera, the university was founded in 1471. It currently has about 40,000 students, 1,800 teaching and research staff and about 1,580 administrative staff.- Campus :The University of Genoa is...
and the U.C.L.A. International Institute.
Reception
I Build the Tower has been praised by documentary filmmaker Ken BurnsKen Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
as "wonderful, lyrical and compelling", and by film critic Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
as "heartfelt and fascinating... a real discovery".