Documenting the dying art of hand-crafted saké making, The Birth of Saké unveils the meticulous approach employed by the Yoshida Brewery, a 144-year-old family-owned small brewery in northern Japan. The film tracks the dedicated team of men, led by the veteran brewmaster, through the six-month saké-making season as they work to keep the 2,000-year-old tradition alive in a world of automated production and commercial competition. Meanwhile, under intense pressure, the brewery’s young heir must take the product to market to maintain the brewery’s existence. As highly crafted as the subject it follows, this film is an exquisite viewing experience of a remarkable artisanal world.