EARTH TURNS TO GOLD — The Art & Philosophy of Nader Khalili & CalEarth

Dastan Khalili’s intimate portrait of his father, CalEarth founder & visionary architect Nader Khalili’s life, practice, & philosophy

As part of The Philosophical Research Society’s series Philosophy of Design, 7th House is proud to welcome filmmaker, poet, and president of the renowned California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture (CalEarth), Dastan Khalili, for a screening of his feature documentary EARTH TURNS TO GOLD (2009).

In his intimate documentary, Dastan’s father, visionary architect Nader Khalili (1936–2008), takes us through his life’s work in his own words—offering a direct, unmediated introduction to the principles and possibilities of earth architecture. As founder of the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture (CalEarth), a pioneer of earth-based building systems, and creator of the coiled earthbag (SuperAdobe) construction system, Nader guides us through his “Alpha Principles”—earth, water, air, and fire—conceived as elemental forces shaped into arches, vaults, and domes: the fundamental forms of a universal architectural language.

Part lecture, part demonstration, the film foregrounds Nader’s voice as both teacher and visionary, weaving together philosophy, technical insight, and lived experience. What emerges is a radically accessible approach to building—one rooted in the materials beneath our feet, where as much as 90% of what is needed to construct a home can be sourced directly from the earth itself.

Born in Iran and shaped by a transnational education, Nader Khalili turned away from conventional practice in search of more elemental forms of shelter. His journeys through his homeland’s rural desert landscapes—studying ancient dwellings built in quiet accord with earth and climate—became the foundation for a lifelong inquiry into architecture as both necessity and art. From these roots emerged his SuperAdobe system, which he brought to wider attention through proposals for lunar habitation presented to NASA. His inventions in accessible, sustainable earth design went on to receive international recognition, including honors from the United Nations and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

Through Nader’s teachings, EARTH TURNS TO GOLD articulates a vision of shelter that is sustainable, non-toxic, and ecologically attuned—structures designed not only for harmony with the natural world, but for resilience against fire, flood, earthquake, and displacement. Deeply influenced by the writings of Rumi, his work frames architecture as a form of embodied poetry—“poetry crystallized into structure”—where ancient wisdom meets urgent contemporary need.

Following the screening, director Dastan Khalili will join us for a discussion on CalEarth’s ongoing work and the enduring relevance of these ideas today.

Dir. Dastan Khalili, 2009, 88 mins, United States, English, Unrated, Digital.

Tickets: $10 (All Screenings Are In Person Only)

Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

DASTAN KHALILI

Dastan Khalili, filmmaker, charitable force, and poet, infuses humanity and global consciousness into everything he does. An award-winning writer and director with many, many awards and nominations worldwide.

Khalili began his filmmaking career in 1995 after graduating with a BA from the Pomona University Theater Academy. His first feature film, which he both directed and starred in, a psychological thriller, Insomnia Manica,premiered in 2005 and was called by the LA Times “an elegantly shot mood piece set amid the downtown LA lost crowd, and the intense Khalili creates a striking screen presence.” Since then, he has directed nine feature films, including the 2018 award winning documentary, Master, currently streaming on Amazon Prime, which tells the story of Master Zhou Ting, a globally recognized Qigong, Tai Chi and Kung Fu Grandmaster. His first book of poetry, 90 Two, based on a two word line format Khalili calls diaverse, has just been published and is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon, among other outlets.

With decades of experience in directing, acting, writing and producing, the filmmaker is dedicated to telling compelling and illuminating stories inspired by the rich, colorful fabric of humanity. With a passion for eastern philosophy and literary classics, through his Alliance of Light Films, Khalili’s mission is to combine his love of martial arts with a spiritual journey for his films’ characters. The Way, inspired by Victor Hugo’s novel The Final Days of a Condemned Man, tells the story of Jane Arcs (Eli Jane), who was condemned to death after brutally killing her opponent in an underground street fight. Jane undergoes a transformation under the tutelage of a fellow inmate and Qi Gong master, learning the way of Qi Gong and embracing her punishment in the spirit of redemption. According to New York Times critic Robert Daniels, “I have a soft spot for meditative action flicks. The Way from the writer-director Dastan Khalili, not only fits the bill, it also includes a metaphysical twist.”

Born in Tehran, Iran to an Iranian father and an American mother, both architects, Khalili lived in both countries until the Iranian revolution, when in 1981, the family moved to the United States permanently. Khalili grew up surrounded by culture and creativity with a lineage on his mother’s side of actors -- his grandmother was a theatre actress, and great grandparents were vaudevillian actors in theater and silent film. At a young age, his father introduced him to classic literature and to poetry, a love of which he continues to have to this day. He moved to LA to pursue acting in 1996, also working behind the scenes in almost every area of filmmaking and went on to direct a wide range of projects including the documentaries Making of a Dream and Earth Turns To Gold, which won Best Documentary at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Khalili balances his filmmaking career and family life with his charitable work advocating for natural building as President of the renowned California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture (CalEarth.) Founded in 1991 by his father, Nader Khalili, CalEarth is a nonprofit organization committed to providing solutions to the human need for shelter through research, development, and education in earth architecture. CalEarth develops and empowers the public in environmentally sustainable building designs--houses anyone can build, that meet modern-day standards for safety, beauty, energy efficiency, and comfort. CalEarth’s designs have been studied by NASA, endorsed and used by the United Nations, featured in countless world media outlets, and awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture

https://www.dastankhalili.com/

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With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email events@prs.org.

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