Modernism, Inc.

FAIN: TR-264492-19

Catticus Corporation (Berkeley, CA 94710-2597)
Jason Cohn (Project Director: August 2018 to present)

Production of a one-hour film exploring the life and work of architect and industrial designer Eliot Noyes’ (1910­–77) corporate work.

Modernism, Inc. is a one-hour documentary intended for public television and other outlets that tells the story of Eliot Noyes, the iconic midcentury architect and designer who built the design programs for some of America’s most powerful postwar corporations. The film weaves Noyes’ story with the broader context of corporate America’s fulsome embrace of modernism during the period of postwar economic expansion and culminates in the under-documented backlash against Noyes and his generation of modernists during the countercultural upheaval of the Vietnam era. The life and work of Eliot Noyes in our telling is a vehicle to explore the much larger story of the intersection of postwar business, technology and design, a story that continues to resonate in the contemporary context.

Associated Products

Modernism, Inc.: The Eliot Noyes Design Story (Film/TV/Video Broadcast or Recording)
Title: Modernism, Inc.: The Eliot Noyes Design Story
Writer: Jason Andrew Cohn
Director: Jason Andrew Cohn
Producer: Camille Servan-Schreiber
Abstract: Mid-century architect and designer Eliot Noyes built the design programs for some of America’s most powerful postwar corporations. The film weaves Noyes’ story with the broader context of corporate America’s embrace of Modernism during the period of postwar economic expansion and culminates in the backlash against Noyes and his generation during the countercultural upheaval of the Vietnam era. The life and work of Eliot Noyes is a vehicle to explore the intersection of postwar business, technology and design – a story that continues to resonate in the contemporary context.
Year: 2023
Primary URL: https://vimeo.com/862481067?share=copy
Primary URL Description: Password: Noyes_h264
Access Model: TBD
Format: Video
Format: Digital File

Prizes

Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film
Date: 9/29/2023
Organization: Better Angels Society
Abstract: The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film is an annual national prize that provides recognition and resources for exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history. In 2019, the Library of Congress and The Better Angels Society, a national nonprofit dedicated to engaging Americans with their history through documentary film, created this prize to support enduring educational assets for all Americans. The Prize for Film celebrates the proven power of documentary films to bring people together as they explore our shared history and engage in civic dialogue.

Best Documentary / Design and Fashion
Date: 2/26/2024
Organization: Master of Art Film Festival
Abstract: Award for best documentary in design and fashion category.

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