"Out of the Picture" selected for the International Festival of Films on Art (Montréal)

The feature-length documentary Out of the Picture, directed by Belgian filmmaker An.Ash Smolar, has been selected for the International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) in Canada, one of the most prestigious festivals dedicated to films about art. The event will take place in Montreal from 12 to 19 March 2026.

Selected in the official competition, the film benefits from renewed international visibility.

A documentary on the invisibilisation of women architects

But where have the women architects gone? For centuries, they have designed spaces, built structures and shaped architecture — yet they remain largely absent from official narratives. Out of the Picture sets out to trace their presence: why and how were they pushed aside? What mechanisms erased their contributions? And what forms of solidarity might allow them to reclaim their place?

Through the voices and work of women architects, past and present, the film explores these processes of erasure while questioning broader frameworks — those of history, the city, power and representation. A central question runs throughout the narrative: who gets to be in the frame?

Visually rich and imaginative, the film adopts a tone that is light, joyful and at times absurd — making the disappearance of these women both striking and deeply revealing. Why has only half of humanity been allowed to imagine and shape the spaces of our everyday lives?

The film speaks not only to architecture enthusiasts, but also to anyone interested in issues of gender, history, ecology and equality.

With the support of the WBI one-stop support scheme, the director will attend the festival to accompany the screenings and participate in discussions.