Traditional crafts are becoming rarer in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and beyond – some are even in danger of dying out completely.

Cheap industrial production makes it hard for small businesses to compete. Especially in structurally weak areas, craftsmen have problems recruiting junior staff – because the young generation is simply missing. Hard work and low earnings also deter many. But they are still there: young people who enter the old crafts with courage and passion. In times of global digitization and Industry 4.0, they prefer crafts and tradition. But apart from the idealism – their professional everyday life holds many challenges: time pressure, less free time and empty pockets. Nord story introduces four young masters: the sail maker Jonas Renken, the blacksmith Franz Radsack, the baker Alexandra Vogt and the reed thatcher Stefan Rolinski.

Written and directed by Christina Krätzig Director of photography Thomas Simon, Hans Tanz Edited by Sven Voß Sound Benjamin Frank, Andreas Stahl Production manager Sven Heiligenstein Producer Stefan Bomhof Executive producer Dagmar Rosenbauer Editorial Manager Birgit Müller (NDR) Format/duration Documentary / 43:30 minutes Produced for NDR Broadcast not yet known Locations Mecklenburg-West Pomerania Shooting period summer, autumn 2015; winter 2016 » back