Trailer for the documentary Shiners.
Don has been polishing shoes in Manhattan for over 15 years. Once an accountant and pastry chef, he’s now a shiner and showman, a street corner philosopher who plies his trade in the public eye. This cinematic travelogue illuminates an eclectic range of charming shoe shiners and their working conditions around the world, from a simple wooden box full of tools to a high-end shoe salon. The contrasts are striking between a boutique service in Japan that rivals a tea ceremony’s attention to detail and a mother in La Paz, Bolivia, who has worked outdoors since she was 16 to provide for her children. Though they share a common calling, these entrepreneurs bring their own special touches to their trade. Seamlessly blending individual portraits while highlighting their collective humanity, director Stacey Tenenbaum walks a mile in her subjects’ shoes to elevate this unassuming vocation to an art form.