In Praise of Hands(1974)

Odyssey(en)

Six California kids test their brains and talents against students in Odyssey of the Mind, a problem-solving competition requiring mechanical, creative and intellectual skills. With little money and zero adult participation, the teens build a robot to tell a story about bullying, exclusion and mental health. But how does their solution measure up?

The Shape of Cedar(en)

A portrait exploring the enduring craft of wood canvas canoe building, and the quiet philosophy it inspires. "The Shape of Cedar" is both a celebration of craftsmanship, and and a guide to a more intentional way of moving through the world.

Dos Antigos aos Filhos do Amanhã(pt)

Risking Light(en)

Dawn Mikkelson’s Risking Light is a meditation on forgiveness, layered with a theme that is rarely seen on the screen—forgiving the unforgivable. Five years prior to making the film, Mikkelson met Mary Johnson and O’Shea Israel, a meeting she describes as a life-changing event that would lead to the development of Risking Light. It was then she learned that Johnson had chosen to forgive Israel for the murder of her son, which motivates the tone of humanistic mission in the film.

CircleSpeak(en)

Shot in Southern England over the course of six weeks by a crew of three American filmmakers, CircleSpeak offers a nuanced look at the passions and beliefs of the people immersed in the crop circle phenomenon during the season of 2001. This feature-length documentary presents interviews with serious “researchers”, self-proclaimed “hoaxers”, local farmers and villagers who are all, in one way or another, involved in this strange and compelling summer spectacle taking place year after year.

Endless Letterpress(es)

Facing deteriorating machines and the advance of new technologies, Argentine printing presses are closing up their shops. A group of young designers has rediscovered this great technical innovation in the history of the written word – the typesetting printing press – but the technique is difficult to learn, passed down from master to apprentice. The last press mechanic in the country will be in charge of teaching them so that this historic technique endures.

Les Couturiers de l'Église(fr)

Guitar Craft(en)

"Guitar Craft."

Nebraska's Capitol Masterpiece(en)

Nebraska's Capitol is a national historic landmark ... a masterpiece of art and architecture, and the spirit of everything Nebraskan. Explore the enduring nature of Nebraska's statehouse and how its visionary design portrays Nebraska's people, its history, and democracy.

Happy(en)

Happy is a 2011 feature documentary film directed, written, and co-produced by Roko Belic. It explores human happiness through interviews with people from all walks of life in 14 different countries, weaving in the newest findings of positive psychology. Director Roko Belic was originally inspired to create the film after producer/director Tom Shadyac (Liar, Liar, Patch Adams, Bruce Almighty) showed him an article in the New York Times entitled "A New Measure of Well Being From a Happy Little Kingdom". The article ranks the United States as the 23rd happiest country in the world. Shadyac then suggested that Belic make a documentary about happiness. Belic spent several years interviewing over 20 people, ranging from leading happiness researchers to a rickshaw driver in Kolkatta, a family living in a "co-housing community" in Denmark, a woman who was run over by a truck, a Cajun fisherman, and more.

Echoes of the Past(en)

As the seasons turn, director Ava Ferrera follows a new generation rediscovering the fading art of craft cider-making. Raising intimate questions about heritage, cultural memory, and what we choose to carry forward. A journey of rediscovery, tradition and history.

In the Golden Age of Chinese Craftsmanship(zh)

The essence of progress in civilization has always been handiwork. In traditional Chinese civilization, the emperor was supreme. Vested with the authority to enjoy the best of handiwork, all crafts used for residence, clothing, food, and travel were the most refined and splendid.

Round the Wirral with a Movie Camera(xx)

Birkenhead's sights, shopping opportunities and industries.

Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take?(en)

An unconventional documentary that lifts the veil on what's really going on in our world by following the money upstream - uncovering the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives. Weaving together breakthroughs in science, consciousness and activism, THRIVE offers real solutions, empowering us with unprecedented and bold strategies for reclaiming our lives and our future.

LOOK & SEE: Wesley W. Bates - Wood Engraver(en)

One of the great pleasures of working on LOOK & SEE was collaborating with artist and wood engraver Wesley W. Bates. Wesley's work has long accompanied Wendell Berry's poetry. When he agreed to provide original images for our film we were truly thrilled. Because each image involves such painstaking effort, we asked Wesley to film a block from start to finish. At two hours long, the video is a distillation of three days of his effort. And Wesley provided over ten such engravings along with the film's signature block of Wendell Berry.

Fortel(cs)

Craft Beer in Japan(en)

Craft beer is a fast growing popular movement in Japan. Traveling to Japan to scout this exciting emerging market, american craft beer brewmaster Rob LoBreglio sets out on an off-the-beaten-track visit to meet with beer brewers, pub owners and beer lovers to discover the Japanese way of beer. Kanpai!

Passfire(en)

A film about fireworks, the people who make them and the cultures behind them across the globe.

Takumi: A 60,000 Hour Story on the Survival of Human Craft(en)

There is a popular theory that it takes at least 10,000 hours of focused practice for a human to become expert in any field. In Japan, there are craftspeople who go far beyond this to reach a special kind of mastery. These people are called Takumi and they devote 60,000 hours to their craft. That's 8 hours a day, 240 days a year, for over 30 years. It's an almost superhuman level of dedication to a life of repetition and no shortcuts. This film asks the question: Will human craft disappear as artificial intelligence reaches beyond our limits?

Happy in Blue(fr)

At the AHPY workshop, Toulouse craftsmanship reinvents itself under the smiling eyes of passersby in front of the sky-blue storefront. Behind the scenes, Annette intimately unveils her learning of pastel and shows how, gesture after gesture, she and her husband Yves carry forward a tradition handed down from one pair of hands to the next.