The beautiful ancient art of making sake

Yoshida Brewery in northern Japan is a 144 year old family brewery that makes sake the old fashioned way. That is, they make sake in a way that preserves a 2000 year old tradition. Erik Shirai made a beautiful short of the people at Yoshida and the process of making sake in his film The Birth of Sake and it looks like it'll be an incredible watch.

It's a fascinating story. The workers of Yoshida Brewery must live and work together for six months at the brewery to make the sake.

The Birth of Saké is a cinematic documentary that reveals the story of passionate saké-makers and what it takes to make world-class saké at Yoshida Brewery, a 144-year-old family-owned small brewery in northern Japan.

The workers at Yoshida Brewery are an eclectic cast of characters, ranging from 20 to 70 years old. As a vital part of this cast that must live and work for a six-month period through the brutal winter, charismatic veteran brewmaster Yamamoto (65) and the brewery's sixth-generation heir, Yasuyuki Yoshida (27), are keepers of this tradition, and are the main characters who bring the narrative forward.​

The trailer is below. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.



SRC

 

• This is touching and warming to see all at the same time. It's becoming ever more increasingly rare to see aged old traditions passed down from generation to generation. These friends,family, & co-workers clearly all get along to pull together and work in harmony to produce this Sake. It saddens me though to see them giving up time with their family's to work for 5-6 months to make the Sake. For being a cinematic documentary it's very captivating to watch and it has earned my recommendation.

• Your taken into the lives of these workers who spend half a year living together. Then throughout this film learn just what these age old secrets are to making such a fine Sake that's survived 2 millennium. Of course you still don't get all the facts but you get a very vivid understanding of the processes involved. To this day iv'e only ever drank Sake once and it was a great experience. Would gladly take or buy some again if the chance ever presents it's self. Thank you for sharing this.