Tana Bana: Wisdom of the Loom

Synopsis

There is a village just outside Calcutta, India, where every family has a hand loom. As you pass the houses, the air is pierced by the “clack–clack–clack” of flying shuttles. In the family courtyards, threads are starched, warps are prepared, and bolts of finished cloth are evaluated with discerning eyes. In an age when cloth manufacture is dominated by computer-driven industrial mills, what are the virtues of hand weaving? What is the magic of the hand-loomed cloth? Another feature-length documentary film on craft. Here you will find works of great beauty and skill, ingenious variations, and delicate figures. Shot in rural locations in Africa, Laos, Indonesia, India, and Pakistan, this documentary will explore the world of looms, weaves, and artisans.