Mies van der Rohe documentary told through women in his life

A new documentary film, Mies van der Rohe, Le Linee della Vita, directed by Sabine Gisiger, will be released in Italian cinemas on February 24 via Wanted. The film offers an unconventional portrait of architect and designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969) by focusing on his personal life as a husband and father, narrated by the women in his life: his wife Ada, daughters Georgia, Manna, and Traudel, and his lover Lilly Reich. In 1938, Mies fled Nazi Germany for the United States, where he achieved great recognition. The documentary explores his human and artistic universe through family stories. Publicly, Mies embodied controlled elegance and his motto "Less is More," but his private relationships were strained. He had three daughters with his wife Adele Bruhn (Ada)—Georgia (a dancer, actress, and director), Marianne, and Wlatraut (named for his desire for a son)—but he largely neglected them, keeping them away from the spotlight. His lover Lilly Reich, the first woman on the board of the Deutscher Werkbund, also suffered from his overshadowing presence. Their relationship ended when Mies moved to the US to avoid scandal. Reich's contribution to his career was crucial, introducing him to furniture design; the famous Barcelona chair is believed to be her design, though long attributed to Mies. The film reveals a different image of Mies, whose celebrated genius owes much to the women in his life.