The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller

The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller

2012 · 65 min · Documentary

The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller traces the career of twentieth-century futurist, architect, engineer, inventor, and author R. Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983). An early proponent of environmental stewardship, Fuller spoke persuasively about contemporary design and architecture’s ability to tackle issues of sustainability and conservation, and to stimulate radical societal change. At every screening, Green narrates the film in person and cues images from a laptop while Yo La Tengo performs their original score. The performance is a follow-up to Green’s internationally-acclaimed live film Utopia in Four Movements, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. This new work features the same unique combination of film clips and live music, as Green’s in person cinematic narration draws inspiration equally from old travelogues, the Benshi tradition, and TED talks.

Directed by Sam Green

Your Rating

Make it a double feature

1h 15m together

The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller

Lot 63, Grave C

Both from Sam Green.

More from Sam GreenSee all →

N Judah 5:30

N Judah 5:30 · 2004

MovieDocumentary

A melancholy train ride filled with small, rich moments.

Utopia, Part 3: The World's Largest Shopping Mall

Utopia, Part 3: The World's Largest Shopping Mall · 2009

Utopia, Part 3: The World's Largest Shopping Mall

MovieDocumentary

A tour of the world's largest shopping mall, located near Guangzhou, China.

Lot 63, Grave C

Lot 63, Grave C · 2006

Lot 63, Grave C

MovieDocumentary

The mystery behind the man who died at Altamont.

The Measure of All Things

The Measure of All Things · 2014

The Measure of All Things

MovieDocumentary

Documentarian Sam Green interprets our collective fascination with the Guinness Book of World Records as a profound need to try and make some sense of who we are by calibrating human experience and marveling at its outer contours. Green himself travels to various reaches of the Earth to collect original footage of record-holding people, places, and things-the tallest man, the woman with the longest name, the oldest living thing on the planet. He weaves into these original portraits a rich assembly of archival footage, his own live narration, and an evocative live soundtrack from the chamber group yMusic to create an indelible rumination on fate, human endeavor, and the nature of our existence on Earth.

The Making of Ladies and Gentlemen, Fabulous Stains

The Making of Ladies and Gentlemen, Fabulous Stains · 1999

The Making of Ladies and Gentlemen, Fabulous Stains

MovieDocumentary

A documentary look at the 'making of' and cult success of the troubled Lou Adler directed film "Ladies And Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains" starring Diane Lane.

The Rainbow Man/John 3:16

The Rainbow Man/John 3:16 · 1997

The Rainbow Man/John 3:16

MovieDocumentary

Millions of Americans have seen Rollen Frederick Stewart, a.k.a. "Rainbow Man", who achieved notoriety during the late 70's by appearing in the crowd at thousands of televised sporting events wearing his trademark rainbow-colored afro wig. Later—after he became a born-again Christian—he added a sign reading "John 3:16". Over the years, grabbing the attention of the media became an obsession for Stewart. He abandoned his home and marriage to roam the country living out of his car, studying TV Guide each week in a never-ending quest to stay televised...with tragic consequences.

The Weather Underground

The Weather Underground · 2002

The Weather Underground

MovieDocumentary

The remarkable story of The Weather Underground, radical activists of the 1970s, and of radical politics at its best and most disastrous.

32 Sounds

32 Sounds · 2023

MovieDocumentary

Explores the elemental phenomenon of sound and its power to bend time, cross borders, and profoundly shape our perception of the world around us.

Pie Fight '69

Pie Fight '69 · 2000

MovieDocumentary

Opening night of the 1969 San Francisco International Film Festival on the steps of City Hall. A who's who of SF high society is suddenly ambushed by a cadre of independent filmmakers armed with pies.

Annea Lockwood: A Film About Listening

Annea Lockwood: A Film About Listening · 2021

Annea Lockwood: A Film About Listening

MovieMusicDocumentary

Sam Green's intimate portrait of Annea Lockwood shares with us a glimpse into the enthralling world of sound that she has been exploring and creating for many years. It is a touching and personal story of imagination and love.

The Universal Language

The Universal Language · 2011

The Universal Language

MovieDocumentary

The Universal Language is a new documentary from Academy Award-nominated director Sam Green (The Weather Underground). This 30-minute film traces the history of Esperanto, an artificial language that was created in the late 1800s by a Polish eye doctor who believed that if everyone in the world spoke a common tongue, humanity could overcome racism and war. Fittingly, the word “Esperanto” means “one who hopes.” During the early 20th century, hundreds of thousands of people around the world spoke Esperanto and believed in its ideals. Today, surprisingly, a vibrant Esperanto movement still exists. In this first-ever documentary about Esperanto, Green creates a portrait of the language and those who speak it today that is at once humorous, poignant, stirring, and ultimately hopeful.

And with Him Came the West

And with Him Came the West · 2019

And with Him Came the West

MovieDocumentary

Wyatt Earp, one of the most famous lawmen and gamblers of the Old West, is the inspiration behind decades of Hollywood Westerns. This documentary, written by director Plante along with Sam Green and Tim Kirk, highlights the influence of Earp’s legacy on cinema and our perception of the wild, wild West.

Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery

Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery · 2018

Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery

MovieDocumentary

A short documentary portrait of the greatest pet cemetery in the world.

The Oldest Person in the World

The Oldest Person in the World · 2026

The Oldest Person in the World

MovieDocumentary

A decade-long global journey chronicles the ever-changing record holders of the title of oldest person alive. What begins as a portrait of longevity becomes a meditation on the passage of time, the randomness of fate, and the joy and profound human experience of being alive.

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans · 2008

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans

MovieDocumentaryHistory

The true story of the neighborhood that inspired David Simon's fictional HBO television series "Tremé", from slave revolts and underground free black antebellum resistance through post-Katrina rebuilding, set to a fabulous soundtrack of New Orleans music through the ages.

Clear Glasses

Clear Glasses · 2008

MovieDocumentary

Short doc surrounding Paul Rudd's clear glasses that came to Sam's door from a time when the world was different.

More Like This

Couldn't load this row right now.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter