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Real Film Strikes Back

Against all odds, and despite the efforts of Hollywood and Silicon Valley to make movies in digital form, old-fashioned, analog, motion-picture film is hotter than ever. What is it about the mystery and magic of celluloid that digital production methods, with all their high-tech tricks, can’t seem to match?

Written by DAVID MUNRO

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Listen to “The Cowboy Folklorist”

Though he calls himself simply a “songster and storyteller,” Andy Hedges is compiling a rich, unique audio archive of cowboy music and poetry—and bringing the legends of the genre together on CD and stage.

Written by MEREDITH LAWRENCE
Narrated by GÖRAN NORQUIST

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The Case for a Maintenance Mindset

A conversation with Stewart Brand, one of the most influential thinkers and pioneers of our time, still known for his 1968 creation, the Whole Earth Catalog. We talk to him about his latest project: a book, being publicly drafted online, entitled "Maintenance: Of Everything"

Written by TODD OPPENHEIMER

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Is France Making Planned Obsolescence Obsolete?

In 2015, France became the first country in the world to pass a law aimed at banning planned obsolescence. In the years since, to give the law some teeth, France has continually added additional rules and penalties. All of this stemmed from the outsized smarts and persistence of a young activist named Laetitia Vasseur.

Written by YANN PERREAU

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Real Shaving: a Gift Guide for 2023

For anyone who shaves--men, women, or any gender in between--today's disposable razors, disposable cans of cheap foam, and other throwaway items cost too much, and create too much trash. To help us counteract this trend, and return shaving into a pleasure, we offer you a treat: our 2023 guide to traditional shaving gear, with tips on fine shaving techniques.

Written & photographed by MICHAEL HAM

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The Secrets of Mastery logo The Secrets of Mastery logo

A new series of brief, intimate conversations with artisans, innovators, and other pioneers about what it takes to master their craft—now available for paid subscribers, only on Substack.

Subscribe today for just $6/month, or $60/year.

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Watch “The Masons of Djenne”

This 5-minute mini-documentary, produced by anthropologist Trevor Marchand, captures a unique and very old building technique with handmade masonry that was perfected through generations in Djenne, Mali.

By THE NATIONAL MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, D.C.

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One Night at the Fixit Clinic with Peter Mui

A white stucco building with blue trim rises on the corner of 48th and Shattuck, just a block from the hotspots in Oakland’s buzzing Temescal district. Built in 1933 as the Ligure Club—a social center for the area’s Italian garbage men—it later became the Omni: a live music venue that hosted concerts by Blue Oyster…

Written by JEFF GREENWALD

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Watch “Papito and His 1957 Chevy”

Jesus “Papito” Hernandez spent his “entire life” saving up $7,000 to buy this car. Then he spent 5 years reconstructing it. Watch him tell his remarkable story in our mini-documentary.

By CRAFTSMANSHIP MAGAZINE

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Watch “Miracle in a Box”

This one-hour documentary film by the late, great John Korty offers an intimate, informative exploration of piano restoration, an exacting—and increasingly endangered—craft.

By JOHN KORTY / BRIDGE PIN PRODUCTIONS

CRAFTSMANSHIP MAGAZINE

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The Craftsmanship Initiative is dedicated to reclaiming craftsmanship’s principles of excellence, beauty, and durability as a pathway to a more sustainable world. The flagship venture of the initiative, which operates as a non-profit, is Craftsmanship Magazine, a multimedia publication that focuses on master artisans and innovators whose work informs our quest.

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