Image: Handmade in India. PSBT India, Directed by Malati Rao. 2014
We think it’s never too soon to talk about why it’s important to sustain the wisdom and beauty that the arts and the crafts bring to the world, especially in the face of crisis. To Rithihi, the crafts are a warmly human response to life— one rooted in our creative courage. Each craft is a reservoir of knowledge that involves cultures and communities with distinctly beautiful histories. To us, the call to craft signifies hope and optimism; two very necessary perspectives that the world needs. To craft is to believe; To want to better things. The practitioners of crafts are living embodiments of this calling.
This 2014 documentary produced by PSBT reveals the inner world of craft artisans in India; but, we think it exposes the intellectual depth and social relevance of artisans and their practices in a universal way that speaks for all craft makers and artisans no matter where they are in the world. It’s a wonderful view into the experiences of traditional craftspersons and how their work is changing with technology; and how a deep connection to their homeland and inherited artisanal heritages shape their identity. We hope you find it as enlightening as we did.
Watch the documentary here.
