The central work in this project will be the restoration and digital enhancement of the 1971 film The Art of the Potter.
American filmmakers David Outerbridge and Sidney Reichman made this very fine educational documentary in which they interview Bernard Leach in St. Ives and film Shoji Hamada at work in Mashiko.
In 2005 I contacted Mr. Outerbridge and Mr. Reichman to present my idea of restoring and re-releasing The Art of the Potter. A few years later, Mrs. Lilias Outerbridge, widow of David Outerbridge, along with Mr. Reichman made available almost ten hours of never-before-shown outtakes from The Art of the Potter, consisting of invaluable scenes of Hamada at work and Leach in a final interview. This unedited film material also shows important British potters such as William Marshall, John Bedding, Judy Gardner, Alan Brough and Trevor Corsor along with Japanese potter Shigeyoshi Ichino as well as others active at The Leach Pottery in 1970.
From the additional film footage, we will create a series of short films of interviews with Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada at work. There is sufficient footage of Hamada’s workshop to cover all aspects of his working process and to show the many village craftsmen who worked at his side.