Glass

In the glassworks of Leerdam, glass objects are made both by hand and with the help of machines. The glassblowers work according to traditional methods – driven by fantasy and craftsmanship, they skillfully shape their handiwork. In mechanical glass manufacturing, machines turn out series of glass products at a high speed. When Bert Haanstra was commissioned to make an industrial film about the glassworks, he soon realized that more could be made of this visibly invisible subject than a mere promotional film showing the industrial process from raw material to end product. On his own initiative, he decided to make a short artistic film. In , we see the art of glassblowing as a rhythmical play between hot glass and the precise timing of a craftsman. A complicated, dexterous ballet demonstrates the art of traditional glassblowing. This contrasts with the bigger glassworks, where everything is well-ordered. But things can go wrong there, too, and human hands are the ministering angels in the production process. In 1959, Haanstra received an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject for the film.