Helvetica (film)

Infobox Film
name = Helvetica


image_size =
caption =
director = Gary Hustwit
producer = Gary Hustwit
[http://www.swissdots.com/ Swiss Dots] [http://www.veer.com/ Veer]
writer =
narrator =
starring =
music =
cinematography =
editing = Shelby Siegel
Laura Weinberg
distributor =
released = March 13, 2007
runtime = 80 minutes
country = United States
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
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website = http://www.helveticafilm.com/
amg_id = 1:391625
imdb_id = 0847817

"Helvetica" is an independent feature-length documentary film about typography and graphic design, centred around the typeface of the same name. Directed by Gary Hustwit, it was released in 2007 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the typeface's introduction in 1957. Its content consists of a history of the typeface interspersed with candid interviews with leading graphic and type designers, including Wim Crouwel, Michael Bierut, Erik Spiekermann, and Massimo Vignelli. The film aims to show Helvetica's beauty and ubiquity, and illuminate the personalities that are behind typefaces. It also explores the rift between modernists and postmodernists, with the latter expressing and explaining their criticisms of the famous typeface.

"Helvetica" premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2007. The film toured around the world for screenings in selected venues, such as the IFC Center in New York, the Institute of Contemporary Arts London, and the Roxie Cinema in San Francisco. "Helvetica" was nominated for the 2007 Independent Spirit's Truer than Fiction Award.

Bands and musicians that contributed to the documentary's soundtrack include Four Tet, The Album Leaf, Kim Hiorthøy, Caribou, Battles, Sam Prekop of The Sea and Cake, and El Ten Eleven.

An edited version of the film was broadcast on BBC One in November 2007, as part of Alan Yentob's "Imagine" series.

The film was released on DVD in November 2007 by Plexifilm.

External links

* [http://www.helveticafilm.com/ Official website]
*imdb title|id=0847817|title=Helvetica
* [http://www.trollback.com/HELVETICA_clips.mov Motion Graphics by Trollback + Company]
* [http://nwfilmforum.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/bydesign-08-off-to-a-good-start/ Helvetica DVD review]