Synopsis

The legendary guitar maker Flip Scipio tuned the Buena Vista Social Club musicians’ guitars during their concert in 1998, and his customer list includes many famous artists such as Jackson Browne, Paul Simon, and Carly Simon. In this documentary, Scipio’s famous customers speak of him, his guitars, and his music, while playing beautiful melodies. Recalling Scipio’s guitar-building career, which began in his childhood when he broke his grandfather’s mandolin by mistake, the documentary takes us on a journey from his workshop in New York to his hometown in the Dutch countryside. In the end, the film shows Scipio working on restoring his grandfather’s broken mandolin. Claire Pijman captures Scipio’s amazing works in stunning images.

Director

• 
  • Claire Pijman
  • Claire Pijman, who majored in cinematography at the Amsterdam Film Academy, has worked on the cinematography of numerous films. Her works include the making-of documentary of Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark, Walking on the Moon, and My Father Takes Pictures (1996). The Guitar Maker, Flip Scipio is her second feature documentary. She also served as a jury member for the 8th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival.