A film by Ward Serrill and Rocky Friedman
A surprising revelation on the significance the bow has in coloring the sound of stringed instruments. Artists and acknowledged masters of bowmaking share the importance of preserving the craft and passing it on to a new generation of craftsmen.
The Bowmakers is a feature-length documentary that explores the world of the bow and the extraordinary masters who make them.
Few people, even among lovers of classical music, think of the bow as an instrument in its own right, but players of stringed instruments see them differently. To musicians, the bow is as essential to expressing the soul of the music as the violin or cello.
The film follows the journey of the “silent servant” of the music world—from the workshops of the virtuosos of the trade to the birthplace of the bow in France, and to Brazil, home to the imperiled tree from which the world’s finest bows are made.
The Bowmakers is a celebration of artisanal craftsmanship and reveals the importance of carrying on the old-world tradition from generation to generation.
Ward Serrill
Ward Serrill is the award-winning writer and director of The Heart of the Game, released by Miramax to wide critical acclaim, as well as The Bowmakers.
Rocky Friedman
Rocky Friedman has been managing the 1907 Rose Theatre in Port Townsend’s National Historic District for over 30 years.
Welcome to the Scientology Network Documentary Showcase
Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission of extraordinary scope, now extending to some 200 nations. Included therein are programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief.
For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for Independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world.