This looks like an interesting documentary... it is in the festival circuit right now so it probably won't be on CD until next year: Handmade with Love from France (Le Temps Suspendu) (France, 2014, 70 mins, DCP) Director: Julie Georgia Bernard FEATURING Lorenzo Ré, Gérard Lognon, Bruno Legeron PROD Diane Jassem, Grégory Bernard SCR Julie Georgia Bernard PROD CO Realitism Films The French title—time suspended—perfectly captures this affectionate celebration of the artisans who create fabulous haute-couture outfits for Dior, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent: M. Gérard Lognon, a third-generation specialist in pleat-making; M. Bruno Legeron, a designer of perfect artificial flowers whose atelier opened in 1880; and M. Lorenzo Ré, one of three remaining sculptors of wooden forms for hat-making. More than just a vibrant and poignant documentary, Julie Georgia Bernard’s film is also a significant historical document that arrives at a key moment, as these ateliers face a triple challenge. Firstly, the pressures of time and productivity as the number of collections produced by designers increases exponentially threaten to overwhelm these small craft firms. Secondly, the problem of succession is a constant: just who will take over these businesses after the aging proprietors step away? Thirdly, the very fashion houses they serve seem eager to take over the ateliers for themselves. With a sense of humour inflected with a touch of French irony, these craftsmen discuss current trends, commenting wryly, for example, on mass-produced garments supposedly "made in France" which are, in fact, manufactured far outside its borders. Bernard allows us to practically inhale their enthusiasm. We luxuriate in their skills and the beautiful shapes, textures and colours they create. This is a delightful look at a vanishing breed.
Thanks for the heads up, Jonathan--this does sound like a must see! On the one hand, how exciting to learn more about him; on the other, how incredibly sad that this art is headed for extinction...
