Award-Winning Documentary

by Hal Landen

(see more stills from the video below)

This classic documentary film presents an absorbing portrait of Bill Fitzgerald, a modern blacksmith who is the seventh generation in his family to practice a trade which helped build western civilization.

Listen to the hypnotic sounds of his hammer “playing the iron” as Fitzgerald forges red hot metal into a wrought-iron tool. Then, against a backdrop of rare historical photographs, he recounts the history of this nearly forgotten skill. Fitzgerald explains how blacksmiths played the pivotal role of all-purpose hardware store, master mechanic and horseshoe maker.

In those days the horse came to the blacksmith, today the blacksmith travels to the horses with their own self-contained blacksmith shop. Travel the backroads of the Northeastern United States with Fitzgerald as he shoes horses at farms and horse shows. This delightful story continues to entertain international audiences of all ages. Accompanied by bluegrass music.

American Film Festival Finalist and Winner of the CINE Golden Eagle.

Stills from the video