Regardless if you a call a major affinity for Japanese traditions and culture your own or not, Erik Shirai's big screen debut as a director sure looks like an intense experience. After having successfully funded his feature-length doc via Kickstarter “The Birth of Saké“ just saw its celebrated premiere at this year's Tribeca festival. 

“Through the unrelenting winter in the north of Japan, a small group of workers must brave unusual working conditions to bring to life a 2,000-year-old tradition known as sake. A cinematic documentary, “The Birth of Sake“ is a visually immersive experience of an almost-secret world in which large sacrifices must be made for the survival of a time-honored brew.“