Brad Pitt has joined Wim Wenders’ upcoming documentary about Swiss architect Peter Zumthor as an executive producer. The film, which is currently titled The Secret of Places as its working title, has been in development for several years and follows Wenders’ long-running interest in Zumthor and his approach to architecture.
The documentary is not intended to be a traditional biography of Zumthor. Instead, Wenders uses the architect’s work to explore the relationship between people, buildings and the places they inhabit. The film examines how architecture can shape everyday life, from the way a building feels to the influence of its location, light, materials and surroundings on the people who experience it.
Wenders and Zumthor have known each other for many years. Their collaboration dates back to 2012, when they worked together on a short film titled Notes from a Day in the Life of an Architect for the Venice Architecture Biennale. That project eventually became the starting point for the larger documentary.
Wenders has described Zumthor as an architect whose work is closely connected to the places where his buildings exist. Rather than focusing only on completed structures, the documentary aims to explore the ideas and decisions behind their creation. The approach also reflects Wenders’ interest in using cinema to explore real places and the people connected to them.
The film follows Zumthor as he works on several major architectural projects while also visiting some of his best-known completed buildings. Two projects at the centre of the documentary are the expansion of the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland, and the new Los Angeles County Museum of Art building in Los Angeles.
The documentary will also visit several of Zumthor’s existing works, including the Witch Hunt Memorial in Vardø, Norway; the Kolumba Museum in Cologne, Germany; the Bruder Klaus Chapel in the Eifel region; the Secular Retreat in England; and the thermal baths in Vals, Switzerland.
Wenders is shooting the documentary in both 2D and 3D. He previously used 3D for his documentaries Pina and Anselm and believes the format is particularly suited to architecture because it allows audiences to experience space and depth more directly.
The project has been in development for several years. Wenders began research and test shooting in 2020, with filming initially planned across several countries. Production officially began in September 2024 in Vardø, Norway. The planned filming period runs from 2024 to 2026, with locations across Norway, Germany, Switzerland, England and the United States.
The documentary is being produced by Wenders’ production company Road Movies, with DCM involved as a co-producer and distributor. The project is also being developed in collaboration with Atelier Peter Zumthor.
Pitt’s involvement adds a major Hollywood name to the project, although he is joining behind the camera rather than as an on-screen subject. His role as executive producer brings him into a documentary that differs from many of his recent film projects.
The collaboration also connects with Pitt’s long-standing interest in architecture and design. The actor has previously spoken about architecture and design projects, while his production company Plan B has worked across both fiction and nonfiction films. His role on this project, however, is specifically as an executive producer on Wenders’ documentary.
With Wenders directing, Zumthor at the centre of the film and Pitt joining as an executive producer, the documentary brings together cinema and architecture through a long-running creative collaboration. The film remains in production, with filming taking place across several countries, and no release date has been announced.
Read More: