The Cinderella of the orchestra finally gets her close-up — and she's made of endangered Brazilian wood.
This documentary film explores the world of the bow and the extraordinary masters who make them. The bow is the Cinderella of the orchestra—the overworked and overshadowed ally to its more glamorous partners. Few people, even among lovers of classical music, think of the bow as an instrument in its own right, but players of stringed instruments see them differently. To musicians, the bow is as essential to expressing the soul of the music as the violin or cello. The film follows the journey of the “silent servant” of the music world—from the workshops of the virtuosos of the trade, to the birthplace of the bow in France, and to Brazil, home to the imperiled tree from which the world’s finest bows are made.
Cinematography
Workshop light hitting curls of pernambuco like holy relics.
Sound
The ASMR of planes shaving wood will haunt you pleasantly.
Director
Ward Serrill
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Pernambuco wood is so endangered that bow-makers now hoard decades-old stockpiles like wine collectors, making each new bow an act of conservation archaeology.
Director Ward Serrill spent four years gaining access to these notoriously secretive workshops — some makers had never allowed cameras before.
US
