Pocket cinema: Karakuri by Matthew Allard

Oh, I’m back to blogging, my dear friendz! Just had some cluttered weekz, and absolutely great echo after visiting Belgrade’s Napravi Me! / Make Me Festival in the middle of June. The input I’ve got there was so strong, so I needed the other way out to articulate thingz.

Short documentary Karakuri by Matthew Allard had been already widespread all around the web. It’s a movie I wanted to publish at the beginning of June, but then I had mini break…  So, it’s never too late for a good dox here! Karakuri is a traditional Japanese puppet craft, actually an ancient variant of robotics.

Matthew Allard (c) shooting Karakuri documentary
Photo taken from DSLR News Shooter

About the film:
‘Japan has always been on the forefront of cutting edge robotics. Its roots can be traced back 200-300 years during the Edo period when skilled craftsmen created automata (self-operating machines). Using nothing more than pulleys and weights they were able to make the Karakuri (Japanese automata) perform amazing tasks.

Japans modern day robots can be traced back to the Karakuri. Today Hideki Higashino is one of the few remaining craftsmen who is determined to keep the history and tradition of Japanese Karakuri alive. ‘

Matthew Allard is a  Team Leader- Cameras for Aljazeera International based out of Kuala Lumpur covering Asia/Pacific and the sub continent. 20 years covering news around the world.