Praise To The Hand - old b/w documentary about violin making

Screen play and direction by Bogdan Žižić, production by Zagreb film, 1968.
Ivan Hus (1898 - 1992) was a well-known Croatian violin maker. Not much is known about his life. During the WWI he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army, and later went to Germany, where he worked in one of numerous musical instrument factories in Markneukirchen and learned the violin making craft. After arriving in Zagreb in 1922, he made a living playing violin and making mandolins and tamburitzas. He didn’t stay long in Zagreb and until 1932 he wandered across the World. In France, he joined the French Foreign Legion and ended up in Djibouti, from where he escaped to the Far East as an illegal passenger on the ship. It happened that the captain was his compatriot who employed him as a sailor on the ship, but soon he disembarked at the Orient and began to deal with the trade business. Finally, in 1932, via Naples and Dubrovnik he returned to Zagreb where he would live and work until his death in 1992.
According to the known data, Ivan Hus made a total of 112 violins and 2 violas.

[@carmelpule6954]

There is more silent and hidden music played by this man in his workshop, than any other man or woman playing that violin in any theatre. Ivan Hus, I salute you.

[@chris3153]

There's a lot of foley in there. A lot of these actions aren't nearly this loud.

[@geoffrey6000]

@@chris3153 They are just amplified, and that doesn't take anything away from this guys comment.

[@Skinny_Karlos]

To do this work you not only have to know what to do but you have to be a self-starter and get up and DO IT !! This man is/was.

[@exhibitit724]

Those hands ✋️ literally built a foundation for the modern world 🌎 😳

[@axiomist1076]

This is the most beautiful short film I have ever seen. It,s pure poetry and depicts visually what I have always said with regard to the final line of that old poem i used to hear in school long ago that stated " . . .but only god can make a tree". My retort to that has always been "Yes, but only Man can make a violin!"

[@OpenWoodShop]

We are so lucky to have this film!

[@geoffrey6000]

I watch this every year, and it makes me happy.

[@mrsgbee8246]

He doesn't blame his tools. Pure creativity with concentration and a deep reverence and understanding of the wood and stains he conducts into an instrument to sooth and elate the soul.

[@mkvs8030]

I had seen this film sometime in mid nineteen seventies and thanks to the net, almost after forty years I searched for it and it's here, a fresh and recent upload. In those formative days this was the first one that gave me the idea of work and workmanship. A firewood like log piece transforming in to a beautiful object like violin was and still is magical to me. Kind of nostalgic.Thanks for posting the video.

[@jimstanga6390]

MKVs - Same here. I saw this in school once....45 years ago. It has stuck with me since. I have been actively searching for this film....and here it is.

[@joe9605-g5s]

I too, saw this film in the late 1970s, and incorporated it into my music classes for many years, until it became unavailable sometime in the early 1990s. I have been looking for this film ever since KZbin came on the scene, as was thrilled to find it here, the other day. Thank you for posting this.

[@lornadoone2009]

Beautiful beautiful film.

[@speedysteve9121]

Best violin maker video.

[@gulfmountain]

Wonderful...tears welling up!

[@josevelez7539]

Wonderful short documentary about the craft!

[@vincenzosofia7133]

Un GRANDE LIUTAIO

[@monicasanabria7437]

Soy de Argentina, mi profesor de violin Don Jacinto Ronan del conservatorio Juan Jose castro nos compartio este material para estudio de este maravilloso instrumento gracias!!!!

[@DrQuadrivium]

*Beautiful.*

[@glennlopez6772]

Thanks for the video. That man has presence and his own methods!

[@turloughkennedy6579]

This is Ivan Hus. He was a Croatian fiddle/violin maker and considered one of the old masters. Some of his violins are still used today by famous violinists.

[@DouglasBowker]

This short was shown to our 4th grade music class, probably 1978/79 in my very average elementary school outside of Washington DC (in MD). It seemed like it was an artifact from a whole other age,and despite the actual year it was filmed, in many ways, it was from another age... It felt like we were witnessing some closer to secret magic than "craft" and that too is almost true.

[@Skinny_Karlos]

Did it inspire you to the violin or any other instrument?

[@chrisjohnson4165]

Superb. Thanks for posting this.

[@user-Mihail]

Для меня огромная честь оставить под этим видео первый комментарий на русском языке! Это лучшее, что я видел на эту тему! Просто блистательный документально-исторический этюд, не просто, показавший нам Мастера, но запечатливший для истории дух Его времени!!! Я увидел Загреб без прикрас таким, каким он был во время моего рождения... простые люди всегда жили небогато, но перед нами не простой человек, перед нами Мастер! Это единственный фильм, в котором показана технология Страдивари. Отдельная благодарность программистам алгоритма ютуба, благодаря труду которых я прикоснулся к вечности...

[@Rkolb2798]

Such an interesting life he led , now days most people think going on a package trip to Mexico for a week makes them a world traveler . I would loved to have been able to chat with him , but as with my Grandfather it is far to late .

[@marffvmarffv5438]

Bonjour. I've seen again and again this short film. Even if they are many other video for violin making, this one helped myself to make the jump and start the project to build a violin by myself. It took around 10 months to complete, and it sound like an entry level violin. Finally I decided to start making a second violin and will see if I can make better. And for this one I will make everything but the strings. I will carve the pegs, bridge, finger board, tail piece and shoulder rest instead to buy those parts and just make some adjustments. 100% hand made using local wood. And maybe I will switch to this beautiful art as a full time activity for the rest of my life, and trying to sell my instruments. Thanks a lot for your share. Cheers from France.

[@edwardkohout3494]

Wow!!!!!!!

[@riccardo-964]

Master.

[@raywhitehead730]

I love this short film, I first saw it in 1976, at Southwest Texas State University, in San Marcos, Texas. It was shown in Art Appreciation class. This version is cropped! It's missing the first couple of minutes and at the end, where he picks up the violin and plays it. The old man, was professor of music and a well known violin maker. The film was shot with a cheap Russian camera, that had no zoom. It took over two weeks to shoot. The film was shot in what is now Serbia. The effects of world war two, showing the poverty of his home and work studio is evident. The beginning of the film, which is not shown here, has the old violin maker at the wood like selecting the price of wood that he takes back to the shop. He picks up one piece of wood after another, tapping each one held up to his ear, to hear the tone. When I saw this film at first I was puzzled, as you had no idea what he was going to transform the wood into. Workmanship is celebrated in this film.

[@raywhitehead730]

@Kino_Sloboda I beg to differ, in the version I saw, the old man goes to a wood pile and on inspection of prices of wood, bringing up each peice, and thumping each peice with his finger, and holding up the wood to his ear to hear the sound...this section of the film was at the very beginning.... After selecting the wood from the pile of wood, then he walks back to his work studio, carrying the wood. When I first saw the film, I was greatly puzzled about the behavior at the wood pile, at the very beginning of the film....as No explanation had been given about what we were to see in the art class. Frankly, it was the only good thing in that class for the entire semester. So, you didn't see the first part....my impression is that it was about 4 minutes that is missing....

[@raywhitehead730]

Also, in the complete version, at the very end, he is seen looking at the completed violin, seeming in contemplation, a pregnant pause, then he picks it up, places it on his shoulder and beautifully plays it....I got goose pimples.... The very best short film I ever saw...1970s

[@nickdryad]

It makes sense that there would be a few different edits. What is really unfortunate is that so many stages of the process are left out. I know film stock must have been expensive but I’d love to have seen how he got all the pieces out of the various bits of rough lumber.

[@Petroschristidis]

fantastic film thank you ....very poetic

[@alsaulso1332]

This is beautiful!!!

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Astonishing art!

[@armandobarajas2142]

Gran artesano lo he visto varias veces y es grande el maestro,saludos.

[@davidv.kutaliya]

❤

[@richardstumph7833]

Love the video, thank you,..

[@dictysjk]

Schöne und ruhige Atmosphäre.

[@vivioman2520]

MAESTRO

[@victormanek648]

Maestro 🙏🙏

[@petercallanan3810]

Very good ..The subject ..and the film....well done

[@arunr4103]

Loved it

[@prabhatkiran7415]

wow that dude is amazing he completed it all in a single sitting.

[@bdecorsey]

Don't be silly. Violins take 150 hours to make. This was edited together.

[@lustucrugf5591]

@@bdecorsey It was a joke

[@bdecorsey]

@@lustucrugf5591 My bad. I got whoooshed.

[@carolineandtigger]

Very nice.

[@user-fh8bd6ln1w]

φ fantastico

[@arunr4103]

Classic

[@podoclaste]

There are schools around the world where you can learn this trade. I hope it is never lost. Key parts of the process are missing, the gigs for instance are crucial. Why hot glue and not Titebond style aliphatic glue ? Because you need to disassemble it to repair or maintain.

[@JohnSmith-ki2eq]

1967.... same year I was made 😉

[@PhilDavisplus]

They felt they needed sound effects of shoes😂😂

[@gregorydocenko4019]

Great video. Tuning was a Bb to an Eb ( A & E ) Recording was 1/2 step higher. Looks nice. Very educational. Either a hidden genius gem, or another homemade wantabe amateur.

[@PremiumUp]

I'm curious to know where this violin is. What she sounds like and who is playing her.

[@geoffrey6000]

Yes, and I wonder how valuable his surviving violins are.

[@MichaelCarter]

I am trying to learn to film like that on film

[@modestoluisestelasanchez1892]

Esartesanodeloskuesavenmismo sistema manual que sistema sumándole conosimiento

[@patriciajrs46]

As usual, steps are left out on this video. He doesn't show making the base bar, or gluing it in. Nor does he show making the back, or carving the scroll on the neck. Most videos that I have seen neglect to show the parts of the ribs and how many you really need. This man doesn't show that either.

[@mercoid]

Urn you’re munny old man! Urn it!

[@laurencelance586]

Most of the tools I see here are of poor quality as is the bench. I'm guessing he's making do with the best he can after the war destroyed everything. It's impressive what he's able to do with what little he has.

[@chrisjohnson4165]

That is your opinion, which is rather stupid. He obviously knows how to sharpen and use tools which have looked after him for decades. His bandsaw is fantastic for instance.

[@geoffrey6000]

his tools were not poor quality. They served a purpose, and they served it as well as any tools ever could. His bench and vices are all custom hand built for his exact methods, nothing wrong with that.

[@modestoluisestelasanchez1892]

Aikueaplaudir

[@modestoluisestelasanchez1892]

Eseviolinestoisegurokesonaravien

[@kennethdower7425]

Damn, dude could have just ordered on Amazon Prime and had it delivered free in two days.

[@obbzerver]

Hey....why is there pigeon shit embedded in the finish of my violin??

[@Anderson-yr6pc]

Certamente quem está com esse violino é um privilegiado. hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Hus

[@tachunlo6764]

Incredible life!