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Guest Review by Dan Berman

My Father, The Genius is a dark and vivid look into the world of a filmmaker, and her father, Glen Howard Small. Lucia Small is the Director and Producer of this stunning and captivating film. It takes pure human emotion combined with a disturbing look into one man's lonely life as an architect and the huge gap that he himself creates between his family, and his work. He manages all so well to completely alienate himself from his family as we watch one individual pave his own way right into obscurity, and bitterness. This documentary is her first full-length feature film.

Lucia one day receives a phone call from her father, Glen, He asks Lucia to do a biography of his work. Instead of doing the biography she makes mention that she- would like to do a film not just on his work but seeing all aspects of his life.

Glen Howard Small started his career on a high pitch becoming one of the most talented young architects of the 60’s. As time progressed his work became recognized as a great tribute to changing the way we live in the everyday. Glen invented an independent living environment called “Biomorphic Biosphere” a gigantic enclosed world that is totally self reliable. Glen dedicated his entire life to his project trying to pave the way to making a better tomorrow. Glen becomes frustrated with the rest of the world and in one brief moment manages to ruin everything. During a 1976 panel discussion, Glen commits career suicide by kissing off people who could have helped him build upon his projects. Glen Howard Small just might be a genius when it comes to architecture. And he certainly didn’t show much of that genius during that panel discussion. If he just didn’t tell off people who could have helped him, things would have been different.

My Father, The Genius is without a doubt one of the great documentaries so far this year. This film hits such a deep, and personal note it demonstrates to you the barrier between father, and daughter.

Dan Berman

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