Having a Cigarette with Álvaro Siza

Seated at his drawing table, cigarette dangling from his lips, Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza opens up before the camera of Iain Dilthey. A committed socialist and passionate smoker, Siza is among the foremost figures in contemporary architecture. His structures are not unlike their creator: simple, understated, fitting perfectly into their environment and spanning several decades. Looking back at this path and early works, we also discover the history of Portuguese society and the second half of the 20^th century. In this finely tuned documentary, in keeping with the style and words of the architect, we journey to the heart of the architect’s work and ideas.