On Hands

As technology overtakes more and more of society it’s easy to forget that one of the most powerful tools people have is their hands. Contemplative and observational, On Hands follows the work of a variety of makers who use their hands to create, offering a unique experience they could not achieve otherwise. This meditative doc from MFF alum Laj P. Waghray examines the quiet power of hands and the beauty of what they can create.

Community Partners: Janelle Gramling Studio, Redemann Creative

Hands introduces us to the world. They are our primary mode of gaining a tactile understanding of what surrounds us. Acts of creation emerge from planning and clear intent and hands become a conduit for expression. The satisfaction that working with hands provides is something primal and outside of material and monetary standards of success today. Most makers will claim that the intuitive, obsessive, and committed use of their hands brings them a satisfaction that is beyond our conventional understanding of value. This process of translating the world through their hands is essential for the maker’s emotional sustenance.

The Look Here! Project led me to the Special Collections Library artists’ books showcasing hands as a subject. I was also interested in the Digital collections archives on the Milwaukee Art Project, created to provide employment for Americans affected by the 1930’s stock market crash. I was interested in this collection because most of the people that were trained within the Milwaukee Art Project worked with their hands. At a time when our experiences are mediated through technology and our social interactions become distanced with social media, this film brings our attention back to an essential way of experiencing the world.

1 Hr. 21 Min.
2019
Screening Format: DCP