All the videos described here have
been produced by Elaine Koretsky, with photography by Sidney Koretsky. They
are based on field expeditions that the couple undertook from 1976 to 2006.
1. The Last Papermakers Along the
Ancient Silk Road, 1993
2. Burmese Festival of Fire
Balloons, 1995
3. Papermaking in Laos, 1995
4. Traditional Papermaking in
Vietnam, 1987 & 2000
5. IPH China Expedition, 1999
6. Traditional Paper Sheet Formation Around the
World, 1976-2002
7. Developments in Hand
Papermaking Through the Centuries
8. Papermaking on the Roof of the
World, 1978-2005
9. "Rice Paper" in Taiwan, 1987
10. A Tribute to Dard Hunter
To see some short video clips click on the
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1. The Last Papermakers Along the
Ancient Silk Road, 1993
Elaine
Koretsky traveled the ancient southern "Silk Road" from Xian west to
Xinjiang Province, crossing the Great Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts, searching
for vestiges of
old
papermaking in the oasis towns. She finally succeeded in finding traditional
papermaking in Khotan, in the far northwestern part of China. The video
vividly
documents the papermaking of the Uygur people who inhabit this area.
19 minutes cost: $40.00 includes a full
sample of Khotan paper and a printed text.
2. Burmese Festival of Fire
Balloons, 1995
A spectacular depiction of 30-foot high handmade paper balloons filled
with hot air, soaring into the Burmese night sky. In daytime, balloons of
animals, birds and fish are launched, all in honor of the Buddha. The film
also shows how the paper is made by hand, and how the balloons are produced.
42 minutes; cost: $40.00; includes a full sample of handmade paper and a
printed text.
3. Papermaking in Laos, 1995
In a small village near Luang Prabang in northern Laos, Elaine located one
family still making mulberry paper by hand. The video documents their
complete process of papermaking, starting with scorching the mulberry
branches to release the bark fiber from the woody core.
28 minutes; cost: $25.00
4. Traditional Papermaking in
Vietnam, 1987 & 2000
This video was specially prepared for a presentation at a Vietnamese
cultural exhibit sponsored by the Museum of Natural History in New York
City. It shows the old papermaking of Les Villages du Papier in 1987, which
Dard Hunter also documented years before, followed by the current papermaking
in Hanoi City and the town of Dong Cao, where traditional Vietnamese paper
is still produced by hand.
23 minutes; cost: $30.00; includes a sample
of handmade paper.
5. IPH China Expedition, 1999
The documentary is an account of an expedition to China led by
Elaine Koretsky. It describes a conference on "The Origins of Paper", where
Chinese paper historians and archaeologists vehemently debated the subject
of who was the inventor of paper. Elaine arranged for participation by
non-Chinese members of the
International Association of Paper Historians (IPH).
The video includes the group's visits to five papermaking villages, plus
some important historical and cultural points of interest.
40 minutes; cost: $40.00
6. Traditional Paper Sheet Formation Around the
World, 1976-2002
This extraordinary film covers sheet formation as practiced in 30 locations
around the world, illustrating the many variations in forming sheets using
either the pouring or dipping methods of papermaking. All the papermakers
shown represent unbroken traditions of papermaking, many going back in time
hundreds of years, a few even to the origins of papermaking in China over
2,000 years ago. The scenes of sheet formation were selected from tremendous
quantities of movie and video footage, the result of 38 field expeditions by
Elaine and Sidney Koretsky, spanning more than a quarter of a century, in 43
countries around the world.
41 minutes; cost: $40.00; includes a
printed text.
7. Developments in Hand
Papermaking Through the Centuries
The video clips in this film show vividly some of the fascinating
developments in traditional hand papermaking, starting with preparation of
the raw material, then cooking, beating, sheet formation, pressing and
drying. It begins in Bangkok at the simple workshop that Dard Hunter
documented in 1935, and ends with processes that Elaine Koretsky recently
witnessed in Asia, which make one wonder "what is truly handmade paper?"
29 minutes; cost: $40.00; includes a
printed text
8. Papermaking on the Roof of the
World, 1978-2005
The film is an account of traditional Tibetan/Buddhist
papermaking in the Himalayas, notably Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and
China. From 1978 to 2005 Elaine Koretsky logged hundred of miles, traveling
on bad roads and non-roads through the spectacular mountains of Asia.
Despite the obstacles of landslides, bitterly cold weather, government
restrictions and uncooperative guides, Elaine persevered, documenting
papermaking in remote and barely accessible areas.
28 minutes; cost $40.00; includes a printed text
9. "Rice Paper" in Taiwan, 1987
Elaine documents her adventures traveling through Taiwan seeking
the makers of so-called "rice paper", a material that is neither made from
rice, nor is it paper.
10 minutes; cost $40.00; includes a sample
of "rice paper" and a printed text.
10. A Tribute to Dard Hunter
Dard Hunter in Samoa
This film reviews Dard Hunter's four papermaking expeditions to
see traditional papermaking in many countries of Asia, resulting in the
publication of five remarkable books relating his adventures in these
places. In this video are vivid scenes of Dard Hunter's experiences and
Elaine's parallels when she explored the same places fifty years later.
30 minutes; cost: $40.00; includes a
printed text
All of the videos are supplied in DVD form.
Shipping within the U.S. is included. Outside the U.S., there is a charge of
$3.00 for one video, and $1.00 for each additional video. Contact The
Research Institute to order videos.
Also available is "Handmade Paper in China, 1982-1999", a booklet of 34
samples of handmade paper collected and documented by Elaine Koretsky during
her numerous expeditions to China. Size of samples averages 4" x 6". The
accompanying text includes the fibers used and the villages where the papers
were made. Cost: $40.00
