ADFF Toronto 2024 – Ada – My Mother the Architect

Film Basics

82 mins | Israel, US | 2024
Director: Yael Melamede

Ada Karmi-Melamede is one of the most accomplished female architects in the world, but very little is known about her outside her home country of Israel. Ada – My Mother the Architect is a deeply moving portrait of an extraordinary woman directed by her daughter, filmmaker and former architect Yael Melamede. Ada is a true pioneer who, like many successful working mothers of her time, was forced to make impossible choices. Despite personal sacrifices, Ada’s work gave physical form to some of Israel’s highest democratic ideals, most notably in the acclaimed Supreme Court building in Jerusalem, the Open University, Ben Gurion airport, and numerous civic institutions around the country. Ada – My Mother the Architect profiles an artist deeply tested by the realities of career and motherhood, a unique mother-daughter bond, and a fragile nation grappling with unrealized dreams.

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 October 23 – 26, catch one of their amazing lineup of 16 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.

TSA MEMBERS: Get your discounted tickets to all showings at ADFF: Toronto using the discount code found in the TSA Bulletin and on your Member Dashboard! Not a member yet? Membership is open to everyone and you can join here (student memberships are free!).