Ben's Mill

From the Odyssey series
By Michel Chalufour and John Karol
Executive Producer, Michael Ambrosino
color, 59 min, 1981

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Ben Thresher's mill is one of the few water-powered, wood-working mills left in this country. Operating in rural Vermont since 1848, the mill is a unique link between the age of craft and the age of modern industry. Ben still uses his machines and finely crafted tools to turn out a watering tub (a task that he accomplishes in one day), and a horsedrawn sled for his neighbors in the farming community. The film evokes the quality of rural New England life, and at the same time provides a close, step-by-step view of Ben's woodworking processes.

About Odyssey series
In an attempt to cut the often esoteric ice of anthropology, PBS released in 1980 the first season of ODYSSEY, a newly-created series of anthropological documentaries, with a second season in 1981. The entire series was produced by Public Broadcasting Associates of Boston, with major funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Polaroid. Michael Ambrosino is the Executive Producer of the series.

Festivals, Screenings, Awards
Academy Award Nominee

other films in the Odyssey series:
The Ancient Mariners
The Chaco Legacy
Franz Boas
The Incas
Little Injustices
Margaret Mead: Taking Note
Maya Lords of the Jungle
Myths and the Moundbuilders
On the Cowboy Trail
Other People's Garbage
Seeking the First Americans
The Three Worlds of Bali

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