one night only

Saw a special screening of Helvetica last night at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans!

A documentary film by Gary Hustwit 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.

I didn't know what to expect. I was curious about the film. But as more and more people arrived, I grew more excited. It was becoming more of an event. Eventually, the theater room, which seats about 200 people, was full.

For a documentary about a font (understatement?), I found the film interesting and quite entertaining -- and from the resounding laughter and applause, so did the rest of the audience. Plus, I thought it was cool to see and hear the faces behind the typefaces, names I had come to recognize -- Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Hermann Zapf, the guys from Hoefler & Frere-Jones... Spiekermann was particularly amusing, with his opinions and eccentricity. Later I remembered that I subscribe to his blog.