Helvetica (2007)

Movies, Reckons

If you’re wondering how it’s possible to make an entire documentary about one typeface, you’ve obviously either never done any graphic design or typography, or you just haven’t noticed how incredibly pervasive Helvetica is. But you will after you watch this doco.

Featuring interviews with numerous design & typography luminaries, intermixed with street scenes from the US & Europe showing store fronts, billboards, buses & so forth, all covered with Helvetica.

It may have been overlong, or that may have just been another symptom of how AWFUL the seating is up at the Skycity Theatre. It’s completely unacceptably bad. They simply must do something about this before they continue to make such heavy use of that theatre (but you know they won’t, and they will).

Bonus festival points came in the form of doco director Gary Hustwit introing before the screening, and doing a Q&A afterwards.

I’m not a big DVD buyer, but it sounds like the DVD might have some cool extras (particular more complete recordings of some of the interviews, which were quite entertaining).

It’s very good, but could have done with a little more editing I think.

If you didn’t see it at the festival it’ll probably be available at Rialto later in the year – which has the added bonus of comfortable seating.