Edward James: Builder of Dreams

"Look, we move among a bunch of 'pseudo-realists', who produce nothing but junk. So, they try to act like madmen to justify themselves. On the other hand, you who are really mad labour to act sane…" Salvador Dali to Edward James.
This film takes you on an extraordinary journey into the world of the Surrealists as the life and accomplishments of the surrealist collector, poet, and architect Edward James unfolds. For the last 20 years of his life, aided by 40 full-time labourers and craftsmen, he built one of the biggest and yet least known architectural monuments of the 20th century, dedicated to Surrealism and hidden in the jungles of Mexico. Born into extreme wealth and luxury (he was rumoured to be the bastard of son of King Edward VII), he turned his back on the rigid aristocratic circles of Edwardian England, and befriended, supported and collaborated with fledgling artists who would become household names in later years. Those artists included Salvador Dali, Leonora Carrington, René Magritte, Kurt Weil, Bertolt Brecht, George Balanchine, Aldous Huxley, Man Ray and Sigmund Freud. Although he has been called "A legend among the legendary", few people recognize his name or know of his artistic accomplishments.

Director: Avery Danziger, Sarah Stein
Writer: Gerald Jonas
Runtime: 58 min
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Production Year: 1995