World Life Productions (WLP), an award-winning media company specializing in documentaries, proudly announces the East Coast Premiere of its latest documentary, “The Harvard 5: a story of love, architecture and a design revolution,” at The Playhouse in New Canaan, CT, on June 22, 2025. The film, produced by Alicia Albee and directed and produced by Devon Chivvis, explores the legacy of five pioneering architects who transformed the landscape of modern design and architecture from the unlikely setting of colonial New Canaan, Connecticut. Following its acclaimed West Coast premiere at Modernism Week 2025 in Palm Springs, CA, the film now comes home to New Canaan, the very town where an architectural movement sparked a design revolution.
Tickets to the Red Carpet East Coast Premiere are available for purchase here.
About the Film
“The Harvard 5” tells the little-known story of five architects –Philip Johnson, John Johansen, Landis Gores, Eliot Noyes, and Marcel Breuer—visionaries who ignited a modern design revolution in the wake of WWII. Their avant-garde ideals and Bauhaus-inspired designs challenged local traditions and ultimately redefined American Modernism for the 20th century. Through exclusive interviews with family, clients, biographers, and never-before-seen archival footage, the documentary weaves together the personal and professional journeys of these design trailblazers.
About the Filmmaker
Devon Chivvis, co-founder of World Life Productions, brings a personal lens to the project. Raised in the last house designed by Eliot Noyes in New Canaan, Chivvis’s upbringing immersed her in the modernist lifestyle that shaped her storytelling.
About World Life Productions
World Life Productions (formerly Wild Life Productions) is an award-winning media production company with a global portfolio. WLP’s mission-driven work spans television and feature documentaries, as well as content for streamers, museums, and government agencies. Clients and partners include PBS, TIME Studios, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, NASA, Sony Pictures Television, and the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, among others.
About Design Within Reach
Design Within Reach is your destination for modern living. Founded in 1998 with a mission to provide access to the best in authentic design, the company curates classics from design-icons and cultivates next-generation talent to deliver an evolving breadth of talent that can only be found at DWR. With a solution-oriented approach, the company offers the expertise and services needed to support the way people live today. Headquartered in Stamford, Conn., DWR sells its furniture and accessories to residential, Trade, and commercial customers through retail Studios in North America, via the web at dwr.com, and by phone at 1.800.944.2233. Design Within Reach, Inc., is part of the MillerKnoll collective.
About Grohe
GROHE is a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, known for its commitment to innovation, quality, design, and sustainability. With decades of expertise, the brand has introduced groundbreaking products like the GROHE thermostat series and the GROHE Blue Chilled & Sparkling water system, all crafted with a focus on intelligent, life-enhancing design rooted in German engineering. Since April 2020, GROHE has operated with CO2-neutral* production worldwide and eliminated unnecessary plastic packaging by spring 2022, reflecting its dedication to a resource-saving value chain. Recognized with over 490 awards in the past decade and honored by the German Federal Government and the German Sustainability Awards, GROHE continues to lead as part of LIXIL, a global provider of housing and building materials.
About The Playhouse
The Playhouse offers a refined and immersive experience in the heart of New Canaan, featuring two state-of-the-art, award-winning luxury cinemas, a full-service pub and restaurant, and an exclusive club and events space. The jewel-box of this distinctive destination reflects the company’s mission to restore and reimagine historic cinemas nationwide, blending heritage with innovation to redefine the moviegoing experience. For more information is available here.
Support the Film
To help bring “The Harvard 5” to audiences worldwide, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through the International Documentary Association (IDA) available here.
Learn more at:
World Life Productions: www.worldlifeproductions.com
The Harvard 5 film: www.theharvardfive.com
