New short film: "Made in Prison"
Inside an Italian prison, female inmates can create (and sell) a range of handmade goods. They're also learning valuable job skills, literally stitching up their lives behind bars.
Dear Friends,
This week, we’re taking a break from our Summer issue theme to bring you something special—a project we’ve had in the works for months. Filmed inside a women’s prison in southern Italy, this new short film—about a cottage industry textile operation called “Made in Prison”—simultaneously explores four topics close to our hearts. By using discarded fabrics, the program provides a real-world model of a circular, inclusive economy; teaches skills that support and rehabilitate the incarcerated; reduces waste in one of the world’s most wasteful industries; and, ultimately, lights a path to building healthier, more sustainable communities.
I hope you’ll enjoy our latest mini-documentary, “Made in Prison,” by Italian filmmaker Luisa Grosso. (And for those who are new to our offerings, you can view several other popular short films by Ms. Grosso on our website.)
Other news: As an independent, not-for-profit publication, we have brought you original stories at no charge and with no ads since our founding in 2015—while continuing to pay our contributors fair market rates for their hard work. To help support this endeavor, we’re now developing a reader-supported channel here on Substack. As we work on a collection of new premium offerings for paid subscribers, we humbly ask you to become an early subscriber.
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Here’s what everyone can expect: Each Friday throughout an issue, we release a feature story, short article, mini-documentary, photo essay, or podcast that relates to our mission—to “create a world built to last.” Our current issue on “The Music Makers” will continue for two more weeks, followed by our usual, late-summer hiatus from weekly publishing so we can focus on new projects—including our upcoming Fall issue on reviving the (almost forgotten) custom, and art, of repairing our possessions.
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Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship
Summer 2023: The Music Makers
There may be no other craft that lends itself to infinite experimentation more than music—an endeavor that has nursed human creativity ever since the earliest days of the Stone Age, on every continent and in every culture. This summer, as music festivals and concert tours return in full force, we offer you a fresh collection of stories highlighting some of our most interesting (and unusual) musicians, instrument makers, and other masters of music.
Beautiful film!