Controversial author Ayn Rand’s 1943 novel, “The Fountainhead,” was an immediate bestseller and a short six years later was adapted—by the author herself—for the silver screen. Starring Gary Cooper as the idealistic architect who won’t compromise his designs, the story follows him as he falls for the beautiful Dominique Francon (Patricia Neal).

Rand managed to condense the essentials of the nearly 1,500 page novel and get her heavy-handed, moralistic message across in a short two hours. The movie is also full of incredible sets and designs, a pounding, lush score and some truly hysterical sexual imagery involving Cooper and Neal.

This film marks the beginning of a series curated by Alison Clarke (University of Applied Arts) and Thomas Ballhausen (Austrian Film Archive) for Design Week. If Rand’s value driven masterpiece isn’t alluring enough, the screening is free and there will be an introductory talk given by the curators.