One doesn't have to be an expert on wood to appreciate a luthier's remark that he can tell what a hunk of spruce will sound like even before the violin is made from it. Director Paola Castriota's interesting documentary Materia Wood centers on a carefully protected Alpine forest called the Paneveggio, which has been the source of exquisite, Italian string instruments for centuries, including renowned violins made by the Cremonese school (such as those created by Stradivari). The film takes viewers through the careful process of felling and breaking down spruce trees into logs from which instruments are carved out, assembled, and then varnished by expert hands. Along the way, several passionate luthiers speak of the mysterious way in which two instruments fashioned from the same spruce tree can have entirely different voices. A visit to a museum of Cremonese instruments is a must-see, but side trips into art schools where students use the same Paneveggio wood to make masks and sculptures feel extraneous. Still, if viewers can tolerate the English subtitles for the Italian-language soundtrack (which are fast, sometimes hard-to-read, and riddled with grammatical errors or bad translations), there is lot to enjoy here for music lovers. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
Materia Wood
(2015) 48 min. In Italian w/English subtitles. DVD: $39: public libraries; $89: high schools; $195: colleges & universities. DRA. Green Planet Films. PPR. Volume 32, Issue 2
Materia Wood
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: