MOVIE | The Man Who Captivated Geniuses: 'The Booksellers'
MOVIE | "The Man Who Prints Beauty" Captivates Karl Lagerfeld and Other Geniuses
Documentary "Steidl: The Art of the Book" Journeys with the Master Printer
Steidl, a small German publishing house, elevates books to the status of "art objects," earning the admiration of geniuses like Karl Lagerfeld and Robert Frank, a preeminent American photographer. The documentary "Steidl: The Art of the Book" delves into the secrets behind the passionate bookmaking of its proprietor, Gerhard Steidl. It opens on September 21st (Saturday) at Theatre Image Forum.
Text by YANAKA Tomomi
Filmed for a Year by the Directors of "El Bulli: Cooking in Progress"!
The German publishing house Steidl takes a unique, "comprehensive" approach to bookmaking, handling everything from editing and art direction to layout, printing, binding, and distribution in-house. Here, we find Gerhard Steidl, a man obsessed with perfection and even the scent of his books.—Now, a documentary about this man captivated by books arrives in Japan.
The film is directed by Gereon Wetzel, known for the documentary "El Bulli: Cooking in Progress," and Jörg Adolph, an independent filmmaker. Over the course of a year, they closely followed Steidl's global travels, meticulously documenting the creation of exquisite books.
A Passion for Books, Art, and Craft
Gerhard Steidl is a perfectionist, meticulously checking each photograph and manuscript as it emerges from the printing press, pouring his passion into book creation. Renowned photographers now wait years for their books to be published, and Steidl handles everything from new works by Nobel laureates to Chanel catalogs, with "books" from his press commanding a global collector base.
His uncompromising dedication, involving meticulous consultations with artists and painstaking choices of paper and ink, remains unchanged. This approach stands out as a unique business model in today's efficiency-driven publishing industry.
To facilitate these detailed discussions, Steidl, even in his sixties, energetically visits artists' studios. He flies to a remote Canadian town to meet with photographer Robert Frank and discusses upcoming print runs with Karl Lagerfeld in Paris, just before a fashion show.—.
Steidl's work is imbued with a deep love for books, art, and his craft. To cherish genuine human connections and foster creative discovery and inspiration, let us embark on a journey with him as he travels the world, crafting exceptional books.
Steidl: The Art of the Book
Opens September 21st (Saturday) at Theatre Image Forum
Directors | Gereon Wetzel, Jörg Adolph
Featuring | Gerhard Steidl, Günter Grass, Karl Lagerfeld, Robert Frank, Joel Sternfeld, Robert Adams
Distribution | TV MAN UNION
2010 / Germany / 88 min
http://www.steidl-movie.com/