Director’s Statement
By Laila Kazmi, Director/Producer/Writer
Laila Kazmi, Director/Producer/Writer
Photo by Ali Kazmi
Arriving in Chicago in 1984 with my parents and siblings, I was in awe of the city’s richness, diversity, and, of course, its world-famous skyline—with an impressive mix of art deco and modern skyscrapers. Reaching above them all was the famous Sears Tower (now Willis Tower), the world’s tallest building at the time. Later, the John Hancock Center became one of my favorite spots to take in the magnificent views of the sprawling Chicago city lights.
It was on one of our sight-seeing visits to the Sears Tower that I learned that the man responsible for both of these buildings was the structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan, along with architect Bruce Graham, himself an immigrant from South America.
Learning as a teenager that a South Asian, Muslim immigrant, like myself, designed some of America’s tallest buildings left a lasting impact. Probably more than I realized at the time. It also reinforced the idea of America as a ‘land of opportunities.’
Laila researching the doc in Chicago.
Decades later, as a filmmaker, I found myself returning to that skyline—and to the questions I hadn't known to ask as a teenager: Who was Dr. Fazlur Rahman Khan and what was his story? The more I dug into it, the more astonished I became. His innovations didn't just shape Chicago—they fundamentally changed what was possible for humans to build. And yet his name remained largely unknown outside the pages of architecture and engineering texts. That felt like a wrong that needed to be righted. Never one to wait for someone else to tell a story that must be told, I decided it was time to bring Dr Khan’s story to a larger audience.
It is essentially an American story, about an immigrant who came to this country with little and, with hard work and ability to persevere in face of challenges, reached the height of his profession. At a time when supertall skyscraper construction was considered cost prohibitive and inefficient, Fazlur R Khan designed a series of structural systems that changed the course of the skyscraper, allowing builders to go higher than ever before possible. Khan, an immigrant from Bangladesh, is widely considered a pioneer in the development of something that he described as “a distinct contribution of the American heritage,” i.e., the skyscraper.
His story sheds light on the long history of Asian and South Asian immigrants’ contributions to this nation. From building railroads, working in lumber and farming, to designing towering skyscrapers. In Fazlur Khan’s story, are the stories of Hal Iyengar, Dr. Joseph Colaco, Chandra Jha, Sarv Nayyar, and Mir M. Ali, all South Asian immigrants, each with significant contributions to shaping the built environment of American cities.
One of Dr. Khan’s oft-cited quotes is from a 1972 interview in the Engineering News-Record magazine, which awarded him ‘Construction Man of the Year.’
“The technical man must not be lost in his own technology. He must be able to appreciate life, and life is art, drama, music, and most importantly, people,” said Khan.
With a documentary on his life, I hope to illuminate Fazlur Rahman Khan's technical genius, his love for people, music and poetry, and his ability to persevere to become the man whose innovations laid the groundwork for all of today’s skyscrapers around the globe.
I am excited to embark on this journey of making my first feature-length documentary film and grateful to be joined by an accomplished team. I am further grateful to all those who are supporting us to help bring this project to fruition.
Thank you!
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