National treasure, Stephen Fry takes us back in time to the medieval era in this fascinating documentary about the life of Johannes Gutenberg and his invention, the printing press.
Fry relishes the opportunity to gather fellow Gutenberg admirers to recreate a fully operational Gutenberg printing press, complete with movable type and home-made paper. His ultimate goal is to replicate pages from the infamous Gutenberg Bible, the first book printed on the press in the 1450’s.
Before Fry can achieve this he goes back to where it all began, Gutenberg’s birthplace in Meinz. He continues to trace Gutenberg’s footsteps to Strasberg where the inventor enlisted financial backers for his printing press before opting to build his invention out of the city and away from prying eyes.
Fry completes the pilgrimage with visits to a type foundry to master the art of punch-cutting, and a paper mill to produce paper from cloth.
The assembly line, who assisted Fry in the recreation, gather in anticipation as he pulls the printing press lever.
Will their dreams be realised?
Either way, this 5-month journey was clearly a labour of love for Fry and not surprisingly the program was nominated for a BAFTA.
Stephen Fry and the Gutenberg Press is a must see.
See video clip below