Morgan Spurlock’s Documentary Crafted Celebrates Artisans

Morgan Spurlock has a knack for exploring industries that we yearn to know more about. Notably, he has covered fast food, male grooming, corporate sponsorships, and now he has tackled artisan culture in Crafted.

Crafted explores a slice of the maker movement, the master craftspeople that produce artisan products by hand. The short film follows three distinct shops: the potters of Donabe Japanese Earthenware, the chefs of Bar Tartine, and the knife-smiths of Bloodroot Blades. The film chronicles the choice of the artisans to explore through making and the sacrifices that they take to insure that their products are as perfect as possible. In creating the idea behind the film Spurlock has said:

“I wanted the film to be much more about their story. I wanted them to tell us their story and I want to give honor to the craft of what they’re doing. I didn’t want people to think we were making fun of them or that it was a joke. By letting them tell the story, I think it transcends a typical interview doc. The beauty of what they make, whether they’re creating food or crafting knives, or you’re Chairman Nagatani making this beautiful Donabe pottery, it’s almost like a ballet when you watch these people work and make things.”

The film was sponsored by Häagen-Dazs with the goal of aligning their product with the ideals of their mission: “find the purest and finest ingredients in the world and craft them into the best ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt available. It is a way of doing business that is as demanding as it is uncommon.” In combination with the film release Häagen-Dazs has introduced six new flavors in a line called The Artisan Collection.

You can watch the trailer for the film below, or see the full video on Amazon.