'E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea' Wins at BARQ 2025
The fourth edition of the Barcelona International Architecture Film Festival (BARQ) recently concluded with the announcement of E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea as the best feature film. The film, directed by Beatrice Minger and Christoph Schaub, won out among the seven films in competition.
Held from November 4 to 9, 2025, the festival reaffirmed its commitment to exploring architecture through the language of film. The screenings took place at Cinemes Girona and Zumzeig Cinema, two venues in Barcelona that hosted both the competitive sections and special sessions. The initiative is promoted by Nihao Films, with the support of the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, Arquin-FAD, the Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC), the Arquia Foundation, and the ICO Foundation.
The opening gala took place on November 4 at CaixaForum Barcelona, where the winning film was screened. Director Beatrice Minger participated in a question-and-answer session after the screening, offering insights into the creative process and research behind the film.
E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea offers a cinematic journey through the mind of Eileen Gray, a key figure in modern design and architecture who was often overshadowed by her male colleagues. The documentary reconstructs the history of the E.1027 house, designed in 1929 with Jean Badovici on the French Riviera, and addresses the tensions that arose with Le Corbusier, whose intervention in the building—including painting murals without consent—shaped the subsequent narrative of the place. The film vindicates Gray's figure and highlights the difficulties she faced as a woman in a male-dominated discipline.
The feature film jury was composed of Paco Poch, Pau de Solà-Morales, and Sesi Bergeret. In addition to the winning film, other titles in competition included 27 Storeys by Bianca Gleissinger, Lewerentz Divine Darkness by Sven Blume, Hydroelectric Joy by Alexander Markov, Terraforma by Laurence Durkin and Kevin Brennan, v e i n s by Laurian Ghinițoiu and Arata Mori, and Ouvidor by Matias Borgström.
In the short film section, the jury—made up of Elodie Degavre, Maria Jerez, and Miquel Escudero—evaluated 23 works, including Inventory by Ivan Marković (the winner), El ruido del tiempo by Patricio Escartín, Charrette by Marthe Maerten and Gabriel Grosclaude, and El Quixot d'Alella by Matthias Müller Klug, Carlos de Elía, Imanol Landa Pérez, and Daniel Cortés.
On November 6, in a special session supported by AHEC (American Hardwood Export Council) and attended by architect Alison Brooks, Petr Krejčí's Forested Future was screened at Cinemes Girona. The documentary reflects on the role of wood as an essential material in contemporary architecture.
