Watch: Emmy-winning short documentary ‘The Luthier: Carving Voices’

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Filmmaker Cody Hilliard presents his short film The Luthier, which shines a light on Illinois-based violin maker, Peter Seman.

Hilliard was inspired to make the film having received a violin family heirloom from his grandfather. He says: ’My grandpa had started to struggle with dementia, and that violin was one of the last things he passed down to me before he passed away earlier this year. So I decided: why not pick it up and learn to play a bit? Little did I know I was about to dive headfirst into a whole world of violin making that would end up shaping a film.’

He brought the instrument to Seman Violins in Skokie, IL. ’When I brought the violin into Peter Seman’s shop in Skokie for a repair, I was fascinated by him, his craft and that place. Film making felt like a way to bring those things together: the memory of my grandfather and the chance to share Peter’s story. I feel like I’m here to help share stories, and there are beautiful stories everywhere, this was one of them.’

The film follows and observes Seman working at his shop, as well as playing the violin, which he does left-handed. Hilliard filmed Seman’s shop on 30 July 2025, with the self-funded project finishing in December that year. 

Viewers watching the film won’t be able to miss the scene with the exploding violin. Hilliard explains the reason behind the scene: ’ Listening to Peter talk about the violin and the fine craft behind it, that feeling was explosive to me. Sometimes that’s how music feels: a melody can tear right through you.

’I wanted to find a way to show that sensation, so for me, it was to literally show the violin on fire. It was a way of expressing the passion behind pursuing that finesse of sound. The violins we used for the explosion could no longer be repaired.’

The film won a Chicago/Midwest Emmy on 24 October 2026. For Hilliard, he wants to create a series about craftspeople.

’There’s more I’d like to explore with luthiers and string instruments, but I’m also interested in other crafts. Especially in the age of AI, I’m drawn to the people behind the work and the stories of what they make.’