EXCLUSIVE: On the 100th anniversary of the death of the great Spanish architect Gaudí, his Tower of Jesus at the world-famous Sagrada Família is finally complete.
Rather than a local Spanish network following this incredible Barcelona construction from start to finish, that job has in fact gone to Japanese broadcaster NHK, the only one granted access to make a documentary about the entirety of the building of the Tower of Jesus, which celebrated completion two days ago at a ceremony attended by the Pope.
The Sagrada, which began construction in 1882, and Japan are inextricably linked – Japanese sculptor Etsuro Sotoo is the one entrusted with working on the design of its interior spaces – and NHK executive Masumi Hoshino, who has been following the Sagrada for 16 years, told us his team has been “able to convey more deeply the wishes and prayers embedded in the basilica, as well as the sense of destiny surrounding this extraordinary project.”
Hashino first began covering the other-worldly cathedral in 2010 and has documented major milestones including the completion of the Nativity Façade in 2015 and the Tower of Virgin Mary in 2023, while NHK held a special exhibition titled Gaudi and the Sagrada Familia in Japan that year.
The Tower of Jesus was NHK’s greatest challenge yet and the entire Sagrada is now not too far away from being complete. It was hoped to have been done by now in time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death but was slowed down massively by Covid-19.
“When I was 21, I traveled around Europe as a backpacker and visited the Sagrada Família,” Hoshino told Deadline. “At the time, only the Nativity Façade was completed. I was overwhelmed by its sheer presence— it felt almost like a living being, growing with a will of its own. Being able to document the process of an unfinished basilica gradually taking shape, up close and over many years, has been an incredibly compelling experience.”
Hoshino said he has “engaged deeply with Gaudí’s vision as interpreted by Sotoo” and was “particularly fascinated by Gaudí’s wish for peace—shaped by an era of inequality and terrorism in which he lived.”
Capturing the 172.5 metre-high Tower of Jesus’ construction has been immensely challenging. To film the lifting of the cross components, Hoshino’s team used ultra-telephoto lenses. For the confined worksite, they deployed ultra-compact cameras, while a crane operator helped position a 360-degree camera inside the crane cabin. “We explored every possible method to bring viewers a vivid sense of being there,” he added.
The resulting footage will air as two documentaries in Japan, one later this month and one around Christmas time, while an international version will likely be taken to MIPCOM in October.
“Exploring aspects overlooked by those too close to it”
After being granted the opportunity to capture the Tower’s construction, Hoshino said his team felt an “immeasurable sense of responsibility.”
“At the same time, we were very conscious of what a broadcaster from outside Spain could uniquely convey, and placed great importance on discovering and exploring aspects of the Sagrada Família that may be overlooked by those too close to it,” he added. “I would like it to convey the deeper intentions Gaudí embedded in the Sagrada Família—his message of peace and hope—to a world today that remains marked by conflict and uncertainty.”
Hoshino feels the beautiful Basilica is “truly unique” and for his next project would love to tackle Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
For now, his and NHK’s devotion to covering the creation of one of the world’s greatest structures is undiminished.
Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy.
Comments On Deadline Hollywood are monitored. So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.
