Big Time

A portrait of the high-flying young Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, starting from the point that he opens the New York offices of his architectural firm BIG. His design for a new World Trade Center has a chance of becoming reality. The film follows Ingels through a hectic period in which he's struggling with both professional and personal problems. In his absence, his office in Denmark is running into trouble, and during an exam after suffering a concussion, doctors discover a small tumor in his brain. The backbone of the documentary is formed by mini-master classes in which Ingels passionately explains how he arrives at his designs—a combination of optimistically philosophical and architectural considerations. The camera also observes the architect in his incredibly busy daily life: he shuttles between visits and building sites, discussions about work, awkward meetings with dissatisfied Danish staff and appointments at the hospital. It becomes clear that his great success comes at a high price.