Good film about the different approaches to the ancient yet 'cutting-edge' art of paper folding, circa 2008. Loved it. But some criticisms--1. too many extreme closeups of the faces of the folders--you start looking at their noses or eyelids instead of listening to them. 2. No step=by-step demonstration of folding any one origami figure or work from beginning to completion--this would be helpful and fun to people who don't already know much about paper folding--to see what it's about. 3. The film's 2008 production date places it before another parallel technology that has blossomed since then--3-D printing. There is much in this film about computers and the math and theory behind origami--but 3-D printing and the related computer software and hardware has taken a different approach to some of the same things.
12 Reviews
A beautiful and awe-inspiring documentary
JuveeJun20 November 2011
I am half Japanese, so origami was a part of my cultural upbringing. I sat down to watch this movie mostly on a whim, figuring that I already knew everything there was to know about this craft. Boy, was I wrong. I was in a state of continual awe throughout this documentary. I had no idea that origami had been taken to such amazing heights. Not only is it a beautiful art form, but it is also being used as a tool for education, for research, for mathematical and scientific theories. You will see origami that moves and transforms. You will see spectacular "paper sculptures" that you would never even imagine was created simply by folding one piece of paper, with no cuts or adhesive. I am so glad this documentary was made because I never would have known how much this Japanese art form has evolved. The music and narration in this documentary are also quite eloquent and beautiful. I hope more people will see this inspiring film!
Witness The Ingenuity Of Self-Expression Through Paper Folding
StrictlyConfidential6 August 2020
If you are at all curios about the fascinating artistry of Origami - Then - "Between the Folds" is certain to hold your rapt attention for its 1-hour running time.
This presentation clearly demonstrates (in a number of ways) the ingenuity of self-expression when it comes to the ancient art of Origami.
Without question - You are sure to be amazed by some of the fantastic origami sculptures that are beautifully showcased in this engaging documentary from the PBS Network.
This presentation clearly demonstrates (in a number of ways) the ingenuity of self-expression when it comes to the ancient art of Origami.
Without question - You are sure to be amazed by some of the fantastic origami sculptures that are beautifully showcased in this engaging documentary from the PBS Network.
A Creative Wonder
Kenn-152 September 2008
There are two creative wonders working here -- the incredible range of artists, scientists and people with vision from all over who have made origami a passion, an art, and a way into understanding their place in the world. The other creative wonder is the film itself, which takes us on a journey from a square of paper to the inside of the minds of creative artists. The film is, in some ways, a work of origami too, for it's folded into different sections, and the whole is even greater than the sum of its parts. If you can catch it at a film festival, don't miss it. And I'm sure this film, by a talented first-time filmmaker, will end up in other venues, win awards, and hopefully someday be available on DVD.
This deserves MUCH WIDER distribution
sugeetster6 April 2009
One enters Between the Folds thinking this is about origami. By the end of it, I realized the implications of paper folding are much richer and more complex than I am able to grasp. The film takes one on an aesthetic trip, a mind trip, a math trip and ends up showing how this (seemingly) simple act can affect/explain/develop/interpret an almost endless set of understandings about our world. It deserves to be shown in every school from 3rd grad through grad school, and if anyone wondered about the intersection of art and science, they will find here. Entertaining, amazing, extremely well executed, one has to be asleep not to be moved and motivated to want this to be minimally on TED and let it spread virally.
Fantastic, must-see film
chickgoombah19 October 2008
Vanessa Gould has done the world a tremendous service by producing a documentary that is breathtaking. Between the folds not only demonstrates the wizardry of great masters of origami, it connects science and art in a way that connects heart with soul. The practical uses of origami, driven by the elegance of the underlying mathematics, are astounding. The contributions of the late Yoshizawa-san on origami have been phenomenal, but those of Dr. Robert Lang, Michael LaFosse, Vincent Floderer and all the others in the film are no less so. The genius in each of these artists is visible in their passion, their creativity, their dedication and their pride. Origami is truly therapeutic. As Dr. Demaine says, it is fun. Thanks to Vanessa and her gorgeous project, we can all enjoy the grandeur of this art form.
How the art of paperfolding sets the stage for so much more!
nycdesigner13 September 2008
Most people don't realize just how much origami has been a part of our lives, and will be for the unforeseeable future in exciting new ways. This film, at last, gives us a peek into a world of artists, scientists, mathematicians, educators and, of course, those that have the desire to simply fold paper. New horizons in medicine use origami to save lives. Teaching methods improve a child's ability to learn math. Complex mathematics are described with modular and curved folding. Industrial designers have made products for our daily lives. Molecular biologists are folding DNA! Vanessa Gould's lens shows us how this ancient art has developed as she interviews many of today's leading figures. This is the first (and only) film ever made on the subject.
A moving and inspirational film
babayard14 April 2009
I expected to be introduced to a world of origami that went beyond my casual acquaintance of it. What I was unprepared for and moved by was how far beyond "beauty" and "technique" the pursuit of this art can take us. I thought this film was crafted in such a way as to gradually intensify the effect of discovering ever deeper meaning in the art and science of folding. Each artist portrayed approach their work with a passion and clarity that leads to greater discovery; their philosophical concepts derived from the methods to their art making is inspiring. The film is a perfect blend of informative storytelling and artistic inspiration.
fascinating stuff, with one flaw
ThingyBlahBlah324 October 2011
The documentary itself is very interesting. The interview subjects are fascinating and the work they do is amazing. You'll never look at a plain piece of paper the same way. My inner nerd was particularly interested in the math and engineering aspects of paper-folding, and it's always nice to be reminded that the great artists do their best work when they're working under restrictions.
Alas, director Vanessa Gould inexplicably chose to narrate this herself, and her voice-over work is so annoying and affected that it just about submarines the whole thing. I had to watch it in small doses, even though it's only 50 minutes long. A good VO performer would have made all the difference.
Alas, director Vanessa Gould inexplicably chose to narrate this herself, and her voice-over work is so annoying and affected that it just about submarines the whole thing. I had to watch it in small doses, even though it's only 50 minutes long. A good VO performer would have made all the difference.
Engrossing, good narrative and structure, but a little dry
Hallelujah28910 May 2020
Exceptionally well laid out documentary starting from a very artistic but traditionally representative expression of origami, to modernism, to mathematical expressions and even practical applications of origami such as with expandable satellite shields and NASA. The subjects, origami sculptors professional and amateur, have a depth of content to bring and the articulateness to say it. I like how the documentary keeps the attention on both what the artists have to say and the work, giving many examples.
I thought there could've been a bit more background to the art in its Japanese roots, and perhaps more showing the actual creation of the pieces step by step, even though there was a good amount already. It could also be explained why the documentary was made, because it seems like the narrator, also the director, has a particular investment in portraying this craft.
The narrator is poetic, but also somewhat overly reserved, or somber, like a museum curator. Maybe there could've been more enthusiasm rather than seriousness at times, because of the lightness that some of the artists had.
All in all a surprisingly thoughtful documentary with a lot to offer.
I thought there could've been a bit more background to the art in its Japanese roots, and perhaps more showing the actual creation of the pieces step by step, even though there was a good amount already. It could also be explained why the documentary was made, because it seems like the narrator, also the director, has a particular investment in portraying this craft.
The narrator is poetic, but also somewhat overly reserved, or somber, like a museum curator. Maybe there could've been more enthusiasm rather than seriousness at times, because of the lightness that some of the artists had.
All in all a surprisingly thoughtful documentary with a lot to offer.
From theory to art to science to practical applications
Bernie44449 December 2023
This Independent Lens documentary stays focused on origami however, it is much more a documentary on interdisciplinary art. What is more interesting is what makes origami art can be applied to just about any art or discipline.
The one big plus about this documentary is that it is not a collage of meaningless soundbites. We can almost use this as a training film or at least a professional class.
We start out with the kitsch factor of origami then go through the different forms of origami. Then we get to meet the man that really changed the concept of origami Akira Yoshizawa. From there we learn that there can be more than meets the eye with the mathematical application of origami and the origami application on geometry. We apply origami to potentially all forms of science. Then we even apply it to practical applications as the folding of airbags for automobiles.
Now let us slow down and see that the individual artists and engineers presenting this program also are presenting the evolution of how people become experts in their field. We see that everything starts out (concise or otherwise) as a series of simple skills and progress into complexity. We try to imitate reality. Later we realize that am imitation is just that and drop the effort to imitate in place of capturing its essence. You see this in artists and writers that appear to have gone off the deep end. It also applies to practicality when we stop making robots look like people and instead capture the functions needed.
If we do not take the time to contemplate the impact of origami on the world, the documentary is just fun to see what you can make or maybe purchase in the world.
I would really have liked to see an expanded documentary on papermaking.
Dr. Erik D. Demaine ... Computational origamist and theorist Martin L. Demaine ... Computational origamist and theorist Vincent Federer ... French paper artist Miri Golan ... Origami artist and teacher Vanessa Gould ... Narrator Dr. Tom Hull ... Origami artist and mathematician Paul Jackson ... Origami artist Eric Joisel ... Origami artist Michael LaFosse ... Origami artist Dr. Robert J. Lang ... Origami artist, scientist, and theorist Christopher K. Palmer ... Material artist Richard L. Alexander ... Papermaker Brian Chan ... Origami artist Satoshi Kamiya ... Origami Sam Nathans ... Origami artist Bernard Peyton ... Bear biologist and origami artist Jonathan Schneider ... Origami artist/Mathematician Akira Yoshizawa ... Origami artist (archive footage)
The one big plus about this documentary is that it is not a collage of meaningless soundbites. We can almost use this as a training film or at least a professional class.
We start out with the kitsch factor of origami then go through the different forms of origami. Then we get to meet the man that really changed the concept of origami Akira Yoshizawa. From there we learn that there can be more than meets the eye with the mathematical application of origami and the origami application on geometry. We apply origami to potentially all forms of science. Then we even apply it to practical applications as the folding of airbags for automobiles.
Now let us slow down and see that the individual artists and engineers presenting this program also are presenting the evolution of how people become experts in their field. We see that everything starts out (concise or otherwise) as a series of simple skills and progress into complexity. We try to imitate reality. Later we realize that am imitation is just that and drop the effort to imitate in place of capturing its essence. You see this in artists and writers that appear to have gone off the deep end. It also applies to practicality when we stop making robots look like people and instead capture the functions needed.
If we do not take the time to contemplate the impact of origami on the world, the documentary is just fun to see what you can make or maybe purchase in the world.
I would really have liked to see an expanded documentary on papermaking.
Dr. Erik D. Demaine ... Computational origamist and theorist Martin L. Demaine ... Computational origamist and theorist Vincent Federer ... French paper artist Miri Golan ... Origami artist and teacher Vanessa Gould ... Narrator Dr. Tom Hull ... Origami artist and mathematician Paul Jackson ... Origami artist Eric Joisel ... Origami artist Michael LaFosse ... Origami artist Dr. Robert J. Lang ... Origami artist, scientist, and theorist Christopher K. Palmer ... Material artist Richard L. Alexander ... Papermaker Brian Chan ... Origami artist Satoshi Kamiya ... Origami Sam Nathans ... Origami artist Bernard Peyton ... Bear biologist and origami artist Jonathan Schneider ... Origami artist/Mathematician Akira Yoshizawa ... Origami artist (archive footage)
Origami is tasty..
leroybow19 October 2010
When I saw this PBS documentary about origami offered Instant Watch on Netflix, I thought what the hell, I'll watch it. I like Japanese food.
I thought origami was a noodle and I could've sworn I ate some origami sushi when I was in the military. I thought it gave me gas, but that's wrong, it's the art of folding paper, so that damn PBS got me wrapped up in another weird subject. I don't know how, but PBS gets me watching the oddest stuff. When I finally realized it was paper folding I wondered what sort of wackos would waste their time on such silliness? Well, actually, wackos like me I guess because all my printer paper is ruined now. It's all folded up; won't fit in the slot anymore. Damn PBS.
Origami is addicting and the sculptures these artists create are amazing. Elephants - drooping sad faces - finely detailed insects - it's all done with folds. No cutting or glue allowed in origami. Did you know that? Spindly insect legs done with just folds.
I'm just a beginner, a "grasshopper" as they say in the Orient, and I don't like to brag, but I've crafted a few origami artworks of my own. It seems I'm a natural, it just flows out of me. I have one piece I've named "Isosceles Triangle" produced during my early "geometric" period. I have another called "Pointy Airplane" that will actually fly. You just have to put a paper-clip on it's nose, so it's really a mixed medium piece. Steel on paper. The one I'm most proud of though, my magnum opus as some would say, is called "Crumpled-Up Ball: A Study in Abstract". That one is many, many folds. Innumerable folds that I created during an inspired alcohol fueled frenzy. I display this masterwork in a glass case in my foyer and it leaves visitors speechless. They just stare at it, transfixed. Clearly it moves them, but I tell them it's not for sale. I can see the disappointment in their eyes, but I won't pervert my art for the thousands of dollars they'd probably offer me. I'M AN ARTIST, NOT A PROSTITUTE!
So I recommend this episode of Independent Lens. The subject of paper folding is endlessly fascinating, just stock up on plenty of paper. You may not be as gifted as me, few are, but it might be a good hobby for you - keep you from wasting your time reading those countless inane movie reviews.
I thought origami was a noodle and I could've sworn I ate some origami sushi when I was in the military. I thought it gave me gas, but that's wrong, it's the art of folding paper, so that damn PBS got me wrapped up in another weird subject. I don't know how, but PBS gets me watching the oddest stuff. When I finally realized it was paper folding I wondered what sort of wackos would waste their time on such silliness? Well, actually, wackos like me I guess because all my printer paper is ruined now. It's all folded up; won't fit in the slot anymore. Damn PBS.
Origami is addicting and the sculptures these artists create are amazing. Elephants - drooping sad faces - finely detailed insects - it's all done with folds. No cutting or glue allowed in origami. Did you know that? Spindly insect legs done with just folds.
I'm just a beginner, a "grasshopper" as they say in the Orient, and I don't like to brag, but I've crafted a few origami artworks of my own. It seems I'm a natural, it just flows out of me. I have one piece I've named "Isosceles Triangle" produced during my early "geometric" period. I have another called "Pointy Airplane" that will actually fly. You just have to put a paper-clip on it's nose, so it's really a mixed medium piece. Steel on paper. The one I'm most proud of though, my magnum opus as some would say, is called "Crumpled-Up Ball: A Study in Abstract". That one is many, many folds. Innumerable folds that I created during an inspired alcohol fueled frenzy. I display this masterwork in a glass case in my foyer and it leaves visitors speechless. They just stare at it, transfixed. Clearly it moves them, but I tell them it's not for sale. I can see the disappointment in their eyes, but I won't pervert my art for the thousands of dollars they'd probably offer me. I'M AN ARTIST, NOT A PROSTITUTE!
So I recommend this episode of Independent Lens. The subject of paper folding is endlessly fascinating, just stock up on plenty of paper. You may not be as gifted as me, few are, but it might be a good hobby for you - keep you from wasting your time reading those countless inane movie reviews.
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