South Asia Institute Chicago: Fazlur Rahman Khan: Man Behind the Skyscraper

I'm honored to be invited to participate in South Asia Institute’s Community Conversation series in #Chicago as part of the #America250 initiative. I will be presenting a first public preview of my documentary in progress documentary film on the visionary structural engineer and designer, Dr. Fazlur Rahman Khan, known as the "father of modern skyscrapers."

If you've ever looked up at the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) or Chicago's John Hancock Center and felt a sense of awe, you've experienced Dr. Khan’s genius. His tubular frame system didn't just shape Chicago's skyline; it made nearly every skyscraper built since possible. And yet, so few people know his name or his story.

This film has been a labor of love for me for several years. I first learned about Dr. Khan as a teenager growing up in Chicago. Decades later, after establishing a career in filmmaking, I decided to embark on a film to tell his story and his impact on skyscraper architecture around the globe. This is a project close to my heart.

On June 26th in Chicago, I'll be sharing the first public look at this film-in-progress, alongside a moderated conversation with two people who knew Dr. Khan's work intimately: structural engineer John Zils and Dr. Khan’s biographer, Dr. Mir M. Ali, both of whom worked alongside him at SOM. If you are in Chicago, come join us for the event, as well as check out whole series of important programs at SAI.

Register to attend the event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fazlur-rahman-khan-man-behind-the-skyscraper-tickets-1989766271481

More about the film: https://www.frkdocumentary.com/

-Laila Kazmi