Touristic Intents

Touristic Intents explores the complex interplay between mass tourism and political ideology through the story of Prora, a colossal Nazi resort on Germany's Baltic Sea. Construction began in 1936 to build this 3-mile-long structure, which would accommodate 20,000 vacationing Germans -- and serve as a powerful propaganda tool to enhance support of the Nazi regime. But it was never completed. After the war, the GDR (East Germany's Socialist government) used it for military purposes and to incarcerate (house?) conscientious objectors. Today, as Prora undergoes transformation into a modern vacation hub, the film raises provocative questions about the enduring influence of architecture on political memory and national identity, challenging viewers to consider the responsibilities in preserving a building's contentious history.

• documentary