The observational short documentary 1953 explores the rich sights and sounds that accompany the now esoteric process of caring for a 250-year-old Dutch windmill, used to drain excess water from low-lying land. The film’s title nods to the year in which Eric Zwijnenberg first encountered the non-operational mill when his family rented it for a holiday getaway. Eventually, they bought the mill and Zwijnenberg dedicated himself to restoring and operating it. Captured by the Spanish-based director Diego Vivanco with a deft touch that mirrors the windmill keeper’s own steady, expert hand, each angle of 1953 reveals a detail of Zwijnenberg’s continued work of passion and preservation.
video
Nature and landscape
After independence, Mexico was in search of identity. These paintings offered a blueprint
15 minutes
video
Engineering
How water-based clocks revolutionised the way we measure time
10 minutes
video
Consciousness and altered states
What do screens depicting serene natural scenes mean to those living in lock-up?
12 minutes
video
Architecture
A lush tour of Fallingwater – the Frank Lloyd Wright design that changed architecture
14 minutes
video
Home
Life moves slowly in a Romanian mountain village, shaped by care and the seasons
13 minutes
video
Environmental history
In Kazakhstan, ‘atomic lakes’ still scar the landscape decades after Soviet nuclear tests
13 minutes
video
Nature and landscape
‘A culture is no better than its woods’ – what our trees reveal about us, by W H Auden
5 minutes
video
Architecture
A 3D rendering of the Colosseum captures its architectural genius and symbolic power
17 minutes
video
Making
On the Norwegian coast, a tree is transformed into a boat the old-fashioned way
6 minutes