Juan Manuel Herrera Luzón (67), known to his friends simply as “Manu,” is Germany’s last traditional swordsmith. Born in Spain and raised in Germany, he devoted his life to the art of sword forging. In 2001, he became the last officially recognized master swordsmith under the historic Solingen blacksmithing law, which dates back to 1472.

But Manu’s once vibrant world is now on the verge of extinction. HAMMER follows his struggle to preserve not only his craft, but also his entire way of life.

Directed by Nikolai Meierjohann & Marco Peters
Director of Photography: Jakob Dombrowski
Production Company: WUnderfein Film Gmbh