Boatbuilders review - a gentle study of craftsmen's quiet expertise

Brooklin Boat Yard, a Maine workshop known for building high-spec yachts, is the focus of Luke Lorentzen’s slow-cinema documentary Boatbuilders. The film follows the process behind a new 56ft cruising sailboat, the Kiandra, commissioned by millionaire financier Graham Green, featuring maple worktops and a Sonos sound system. Green plans to sail the boat around the world, while the crew stays in Brooklin, balancing family life with long seasonal construction. Lorentzen’s attention is split between the craft and the team managing budgets, progress reports, and setbacks. Even tough moments, like an employee firing, are handled quietly—reflecting the closeness of the community.