THE ORGANISTAS is the first installment on IndiePix from acclaimed documentary filmmaker Bert Shapiro's intricate EYE & HAND series, and is offered both as part of a collection and priced to own individually.
Master musicians reveal why they are passionate about the pipe organ, the King of Instruments. Designers, craftsmen and women show the rarely seen skills of voicing, or molten metal forming, and the many sophisticated hand and eye skills using hand-made tools to make the organ speak with its unique sound.
THE ORGANISTAS features music from Bach to the contemporary masters. These glorious sounds are heard and seen in magnificent churches, chapels, concert halls and private homes. From the Los Angeles Philharmonic Hall and its more than 6000 pipes to a tiny organ built about 1680 played in a private office in London, these special performances are rarely filmed, and have never been collected in a single documentary.
Wind, air, wood, metal, ivory and ebony...all combine to create tremulous pianissimos and thrilling fortissimos in the many voices of the pipes. THE ORGANISTAS opes the door to this hidden world of epic beauty and dedicated craftsmanship.
"After reading on these lists about the film THE ORGANISTAS and the prestigious awards it has received, I figured it was time I got to see it. I've just done so, and all I can say is "wow"! What a terrific job filmmaker Bert Shapiro has done in capturing the magical essence of the King of Instruments. I've seen any number of excellent organ building videos, and I have innumerable videos of great performances, but I've never seen one which ties the art of organ building to the art of organ performance so wonderfully. Mr. Shapiro has explored the common threads between great organ building and great organ playing in ways which ought to reinforce what most of us know: passionate commitment to beauty and quality are as true for builders as they are for players." Steve Best, Organist
“I think that it is one of the most amazing films I have ever seen on pipe organ building.....a fine and outstanding work." Ray Biswanger, Friends of the Wanamaker Organ
