Bionic Buzz® got to interview executive producer Hugh Karraker and Director John Maher from the documentary ALL THINGS BAKELITE. This is the third documentary feature from Director John Maher (Throw it Down), it will arrive on multiple digital platforms on June 29 worldwide. In partnership with Bitmax, Executive Producer Hugh Karraker is bringing his great-grandfather Leo Baekeland’s story to iTunes, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, VUDU and more to six continents.
In 1907, Leo Baekeland changed the world forever. Baekeland was a Belgian chemist best known for the inventions of Velox photographic paper in 1893, and, more importantly, Bakelite in 1907. He has been called “The Father of the Plastics Industry” for his invention of Bakelite, an inexpensive, nonflammable and versatile plastic, which marked the beginning of the modern plastics industry.
In fact, the creation of the synthetic plastic was revolutionary due to its electrical nonconductivity and heat-resistant properties in essential items such as electrical insulators, radios, telephone casings, and many household appliances. It is profoundly present in our day-to-day lives in automotive and aerospace applications, construction materials and more. In recent years the “retro” appeal of old Bakelite products such as kitchenware, jewelry and pipe stems has made them collectible.
History and science come alive in this provocative documentary about the first plastic and its inventor. Reenactments, archival images, interviews with experts and satirical songs capture both the wonder and curse of plastic. The film celebrates Baekeland’s genius, Bakelite and other plastics. It also does not shy away from confronting plastic pollution.
Director John Maher also served as the Director of Photography for All Things Bakelite was the Executive Producer is Hugh Karraker. Among the prestigious list of experts who appear in the film are Pratt Institute Professor of the History of Design Dr. Katarina Posch; Jeffrey Meikle, a cultural and design historian, currently the Stiles Professor in the Department of American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin; and Jeanette Garcia, IBM Research Chemist.