“Pottery is one of the oldest of the crafts, one of the earliest of the arts, so ancient that its origin is unknown”. The Pottery Maker is one of two short films directed by filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty after the completion of his second feature Moana in 1925.
In The Pottery Maker, a woman and her granddaughter visit a pottery workshop to buy a new jug. Fascinated by this age-old craft, the young woman carefully observes all the steps the potter takes to carry out his work. Kneading the wet clay to remove the air bubbles. Put it on the wheel. Add water constantly. Work the clay up and down to establish a harmony with the spinning wheel. Once this is finished, fires will be lit in the lower part of the kiln, which should be kept burning day and night until the piece is fired and ready for use.
Produced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and sponsored by actress and Flaherty admirer Maude Adams in 1926, the short film was shot in the basement of the museum, with the participation of potter Victor Raffo, his daughter Ruth and Elizabeth Custer.
