The Birth of Saké

Perhaps we are too used to the bombardment of 30-second clips on social media, the internet or TV that we forget for something to dazzle us beyond our own experience, there are weeks, months and years of work necessary to make great art, great performance and, in this case, great sake.

Like the documentary on hermetic life, Into Great Silence, the Birth of Sake, in brilliant images and a pace that insists you shut up and slow down, gently splays out that journey in the setting of a traditional brewery in northern Japan.

The beautiful cinematography unfolds the daily grind towards such rare greatness and reveals the sacrifices that goes hand-in-hand with success. Through the daily efforts of the brewery workers we witness a dedication, a work ethnic and an art that defies the "get-rich-quick" mentality eroding our world.

For something to truly become exceptional we must give all of our heart and soul. The Birth of Sake does not shy away from the reality that sacrifices are real and irreversible. Still, the documentary is proof that only that kind of effort produces results which transcend the mundane, the cheap, and the mass produced.

Really enjoyed this documentary - it was less about the process of making sake though and more about a story of a group of men that seemingly feel so strongly about their responsibility to keep their brand and culture of traditional sake alive. Although there are details regarding the various stages of such a tedious process, I found the little interactions between them to be most interesting. It was beautifully filmed and gave insight to some subtle nuances of Japanese culture, family, and the struggles that some of them experience outside of the tough working conditions. The unique personalities of each individual that became apparent through watching them interact was so fascinating and was my favorite part of this film!

The Birth of Sake is something like the marriage between an art film and home movies...and not in a good way. There are a lot of arty shots, done nicely, good cinematography, but they really add nothing to the story of the making of sake.

The footage that shows sake being made is, to be kind, amateurish. Just like in home movies, where your cousins and aunts are acting a bit strange because the camera is on them, the candid shots are embarrassing and add little to the story of what the title purports to be the theme.

It's a good idea, and there's probably a good movie to be made about the exacting nature of the making of sake, but this is not that movie.

This is a nicely polished piece of failure.

It's not about "the birth of sake". It's simply one season with one of the last factories that employ the traditional method. Although traditional would be a very abused word, as nothing but the simple mind of the workers is traditional.

The workers are undepaid failured.

The factory itself is a failure, although the owner is pretending to have a high quality product. And the sake is hard to sell and elicits only some polite remarks from the buyers.

The drink itself is a failure as even the owner and the employees get drunk on beer and not sake.

And the film fails to become exciting. It is the long and boring cut of a 5 minute "How It Is Made" Youtube video plus some interviews from the bonus tracks.