Watch “The Masons of Djenne”

This 5-minute mini-documentary, directed by anthropologist Trevor Marchand, captures a unique and very old building technique with handmade masonry that was perfected through generations in Djenne, a small town in Mali in West Africa.  While simple in execution, it’s clear that this building technique has, over the centuries, brought the masons of Djenne layer upon layer of spirituality, honor, skill, tradition, and beauty.

Marchand’s work in Mali inspired much of his recent book, “The Pursuit of Pleasurable Work: Craftwork in Twenty-First Century England” (Berghahn Books, 2021). “The Masons of Djenne” was co-produced by Dr. Mary Jo Arnoldi and edited by Pete Durgerian for the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., which we thank for granting us permission to use the film.