http://www.helveticafilm.com/

"Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives."

Just saw this last night. For most people, the fact that this film was even made is probably kind of a joke. I'm not a designer, but I do work in that world, so I had a tiny, tiny smidgen of interest in the subject prior to entering the film. To it's credit the film helps anyone see that the typeface is ubiquitous enough that it warrants a closer look, since it's a huge part of our visual lives, whether we realize it or not.

It's definitely overlong, though not excruciatingly so, and probably repeats itself a little too much, but almost all of the personalities interviewed are wonderful speakers, and if you're not fascinated by their wonderful insights into typography, you'll at least be fascinated that they can speak so articulately and passionately about something so many people find dull.

Anyway, I'd say anyone in the Graphic Design industry should see it, because it poses some good questions about the fundamental role that type serves. To put it simply, should typefaces be objective or subjective? (I'm mostly in the latter camp. But I also like post-modernism in graphic design, too, so what do I know?)

And even if you're not a designer, if you have an open mind it would be worth seeing, because I don't mean to alarm you, but look around: Helvetica has you surrounded. And by that very virtue, it's a typeface that might not be as benign as you'd think.

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