Mark Jarzombek’s ‘D.I.A.N.A.’ is a hilarious short that skewers the symbiotic relationship between architects and their design software. Written and narrated by Amos Damroth, the film revels in absurdity while never losing sight of its real-world critique: when did architecture become a hostage to technology?
The film introduces us to Diane DeCielo (played with bemused exasperation by Anjali Khurana), a talented architect whose latest commission is hijacked by a rogue software bug. Her trusted RHINO program spawns a glitch so surreal it borders on dystopian: cockroaches infest her screen, tearing apart her blueprints. The comes D.I.A.N.A. (Designing Insidious Alternative Natural Architecture), a shadowy entity demanding ransom for a solution. Frustrated but desperate, Diane resists before ultimately embracing the chaos.
Christopher Harting’s cinematography captures the sleek sterility of architectural design, contrasting it with the creeping terror of the digital infestation. The film’s satire is bold, particularly in its mockery of architecture’s reliance on overpriced plug-ins – tools named after animal. The humor is self-aware and knowing, poking fun at the absurd hoops designers must jump through just to keep their work intact.
Jarzombek himself opens the film with a wry introduction, setting the tone with an academic’s deadpan wit. The result is a short that refuses to take itself too seriously while delivering a scathing critique of software dependency. ‘D.I.A.N.A.’ is a must-watch for architects, designers, and anyone who has ever felt at the mercy of their own technology. It’s an exasperated laugh in the face of digital domination.
