Those wanting to turn their bathtub into a craft sake brewery need look no further. Historians need not apply. Given the rich cultural lineage associated with sake, one would rightfully expect a documentary on the subject to devote a healthy portion of its running time to exploring the history of Japan’s venerable staple. But after a breezy encapsulation of bygone times, director Mirai Konishi gets down to the subjects at hand: three contrasting experts in the field — Oxford grad and Japan’s first foreign master brewer Philip Harper, America’s “Sake Evangelist” John Gauntner, and fifth-generation brewer Kosuke Kuji. Unless you enjoy listening as experts gush over the virtues of fermented rice wine, there’s not much to grab and hold one’s attention. This handsomely photographed (by Konishi and Masami Inomoto) sip of sakeganda amounts to little more than a 95-minute informercial on the subject, aimed at spiking foreign sales. (2016) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.