ADFF Toronto 2026: COPAN

At the heart of São Paulo, the iconic COPAN building, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, houses more than 5,000 residents across 120,000 square meters. Inside, a heated election for the building’s administrator unfolds as the long-standing officeholder resists change. Beyond its walls, Brazil faces a decisive election between Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro.

Director Carine Wallauer, herself a COPAN resident, paints a portrait of this remarkable building as a microcosm of Brazilian society, where questions of democracy, community, and power play out in everyday life.

As the story unfolds, the film takes us throughout COPAN, revealing its architecture through the people who live and work there and the many different spaces they inhabit. Rather than simply observing Niemeyer’s iconic building from the outside, we experience it from within and begin to understand how its design shapes daily life. By the end of the film, we have developed an intimate understanding of COPAN, not only as an architectural landmark, but as the complex, evolving community Niemeyer designed it to contain.

TSA MEMBERS: Members get discounted tickets to all regular showings at ADFF: Toronto! When tickets go on sale, there will be a discount code in the TSA Bulletin and on your Member Dashboard.

About the Architecture and Design Film Festival

The Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF)—North America’s largest film festival dedicated to architecture and design—is coming back to Toronto for another year of great films and insightful discussions! From November 4-7, catch one of their amazing lineup of 13 films, from all over the world. Looking for the full list of films showcased at this year’s ADFF: Toronto? See the complete programme on the festival’s website!

The TSA is proud to once again be partnering with ADFF: Toronto to bring a series of panel discussions and post-screening Q&As that complement this year’s film roster. These panels bring together architects, film-makers, and subject matter experts to further explore the themes of each film and bring them back to our local context here in Toronto.