Adrien Brody’s new film tells a story of architecture and survival after the Shoah

Adrien Brody, the protagonist of The pianistarrives this year with a new epic drama about the history of the Holocaust.

The Brutalist tells the story of a Hungarian Jewish architect who rebuilds his life after the Holocaust. Directed by Brady Corbet, the film is inspired by the true story of Jewish architects in postwar America, such as Louis Kahn and Marcel Breuer, but follows László Tóth, a fictional Hungarian Jewish architect struggling to settle in America.

After the end of World War II, Tóth emigrated to the United States with his wife, Erszebét. At first, they face a time of poverty and misery, but soon they land a contract with a mysterious and wealthy client, Harrison Lee Van Buren, that will change the course of their lives.

Corbet said that he was inspired by brutalist architecture to symbolize the struggle of marginalized communities: “Brutalism, like many people, was rejected and destroyed for being different,” the director commented during the Chicago International Film Festival.The Brutalist premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2024, competing for the Golden Lion.