apprentice for a day
The project follows artisans, chefs, makers, and creators in their element — shadowing their craft, learning their rhythm, and seeing what it takes to do what they do. It’s not staged or polished; it’s raw, immersive storytelling that celebrates skill, tradition, and passion at the ground level.
Each episode is part documentary, part lived experience. Whether it’s working dough with a baker at dawn, pulling shots with a barista through the morning rush, or cooking alongside a chef in a cramped kitchen, the aim is to capture the grit and sincerity of everyday mastery.
The project isn’t just about showing work — it’s about connection. By taking on the role of the apprentice, Merak opens the door to stories that might otherwise be overlooked, giving them a voice and a stage. It’s culture told through practice, skill, and the people behind it.
the inspiration
A bakery tucked near home, the kind of place you drive past a hundred times before you ever step inside. My aunty had brought a slab of Nik’s Burek to a family table days earlier — golden, heavy, perfect. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
So I walked in. Nik was behind the counter, Macedonian, hands that looked like they’d been rolling dough since film was still black and white. I didn’t want the usual transaction. I wanted to see the work. To feel it. So I just asked: “Will you show me how to do what you do?”
He didn’t hesitate. He just nodded, like a scene out of an old Scorsese flick where everything’s decided with a look. The next morning, six a.m., I was there — flour in the air, ovens roaring, the city still half asleep. Not a customer anymore. An apprentice.
