This is Glas, a 1959 Oscar-winning short subject documentary by Bert Haanstra about glass making, and it is the most mesmerizing thing you’ll see today.
The film is notable for a number of reasons, but what caught my attention was how effectively it contrasts the meticulous, method-based craftsmanship of the glassblowers with the automated processes of the bottle-building machines. It’s an especially powerful comparison, considering that glass blowing remains widely practiced to this day, even after decades of global industrialization. I can think of few examples where an artisan’s virtuosity juxtaposes more compellingly with the raw generative capacity of a factory – this makes the film wonderful to think about, and practically impossible not to watch.
The documentary is perfect little ten minute vacation. The music complements it nicely, so be sure to keep the sound on.
