This is the only complete film available on the world-renowned artist potter Bernard Leach, one of the most influential craftsmen of the 20th century. The resulting documentary film is a charming presentation of the daily activities
at The Leach Pottery.
This locally-made film, now restored and released for the first time on DVD with the cooperation of the late Janet Darnell Leach, and narrated commentary by Warren Mackenzie, provides an especially intimate look at The Leach Pottery.
MacKenzie's excellent voice-over commentary helps explain the workings - artistic, personal, economic - of the pottery.
Reviews
American Craft Magazine
"...an engaging guide to one of the most important sites in modern ceramics."
Ceramics Monthly, USA
"...gives viewers both a sense of life at the Leach Pottery, and a much more personal
point of view on what St. Ives and the Leach philosophy meant...takes the abstract idea of Leach's legacy, and makes it specific and personal..."
Journal of Australian Ceramics
".... a delightful package of rare and historic material. I can't recommend it enough."
UPDATE: Several months after the initial DVD release of this film, a 1/4 audio tape reel was discovered in a box of films donated by the widow of film distributor John Anderson containing Bernard Leach's previously lost narrative for this film. This new edition includes this historic audio commentary.
More information on the audio discovery
A Japanese subtitled version is now also available*.
About the Leach Pottery
Bernard Leach founded The
Leach Pottery in St. Ives, Cornwall, England in 1920, where
he later wrote his classic; A POTTER'S BOOK.
The
Leach Pottery soon began welcoming visitors from around the world
to view it's unique experiment in reviving hand-crafted pottery,
then regarded as doomed to extinction.
In 1952, as The Leach Pottery was acheiving international renown,
members of the local photography club set out to show the process
of creating pottery by producing this originally silent film.
DVD supplements include:
- Newly discovered audio commentary by Bernard Leach; recorded by John Anderson, founder of Films on Craft Ceramics.
- Recording of narration by Warren MacKenzie, at his home in Stillwater, Minnesota, USA,
November 2007
- 14 page booklet, including newly translated article by Shoji Hamada, early newspaper article by Bernard Leach and more.
- 17 minutes of footage shot by Warren Mackenzie in 1952
- telephone interview with Warren Mackenzie
- slide shows of St. Ives and The Leach Pottery in the 1950's
This film also contains the first ever film footage of legendary Leach trained craftsmen, William Marshall, Kenneth Quick, Joe Benny and David Leach
Links to more information about Bernard Leach, the film and Japanese pottery:
In collaboration with:
Japan Folkcrafts Museum - Nippon Mingei Kan
http://www.mingeikan.or.jp/english/
The Bernard Leach (St Ives) Trust
http://www.leachpottery.com/
For More Information
Contact Marty Gross Productions, Inc. 416.536.3355 or
email videos@martygrossfilms.com
for more information about purchasing or licensing this film for
broadcast.
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