The film "How much does your building weigh, Mr Foster" has been greeted warmly by architecture critics writing in the lay and architectural press. Its packaging quotes Esquire magazine ("an engaging portrait of a true genius"), the Observer ("hugely enjoyable"), Building magazine ("a poignant and human portrayal"), and the Times of London ("5 stars"). What none of these not usually unobservant publications seems to have noticed, however, is that this film, written and breathlessly narrated by the same writer who wrote the hagiographic biography "Norman Foster: a life in architecture", was also produced in association with an organisation called "Arts Commissioners". "Arts Commissioners" sounds like an authoritative, semi-official arts quango. It is in fact a consultancy firm that promotes its clients by putting their work in what are seen as the most advantageous public arenas. It is owned by Thomas Manss & Co, a German-English partnership with Foster + Partners as one of its 19 architectural clients. In short, this is a promotional film that masquerades as a piece of objective film-making. It is nothing of the sort, as the soundtrack clearly reveals. There's nothing wrong with promotional films - but they ought to be labelled as such, and the innocent viewer ought therefore to take note and be wary.