In this documentary, directors Jason Gwynn and Jay Sheldon interview film projectionists during their last days on the job at a soon-to-be-defunct movie theater. As Hollywood studios move toward digital distribution, many theaters are forced to abandon their 35mm projectors—and pay up to $150,000 for new projection technology. This change, as the documentary explains, is heartbreaking for the people responsible for reels and reels of film.Courtesy of Jason Gwynn & Jay SheldonIf you enjoyed this short, you may also want to read Matthew Dessem’s essay at The Dissolve about the challenges of preserving movies in a digital age. “Unless the unique challenges of digital preservation are met,” he writes, “we run the risk of a future in which a film from 1894 printed on card stock has a better chance of surviving than a digital film from 2014.”
Via The Atlantic.