A movie review - “GRAin” -5 stars!
I know, two posts in two days—totally out of character for me. But hey, there’s a lot going on, and I have to share! As I mentioned in the post a couple of days ago, I am going analog, well sort of. It first started as an exploration of the growing interest and development in analog photography as part of an effort to attract a more diverse and younger group of new members at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts. It quickly turned into one of what I can call my little “enthusiasms”, or more appropriately an obsession, one of those express elevators down a very, very deep and expensive rabbit hole. Actually, moderately expensive so far, we will see.
I bought a Pentax Spotmatic F camera with a 50mm f/1.4 and a 105mm f/2.8 lens from Japan — $196 including shipping! The Spotmatic was the first "real" camera I ever shot with.
Damn the white rabbit!
I have been diligently reimmersing myself in the analog world, doing research, bookmarking websites, etc., and through that process, I found the 2021 documentary film “Grain”, and damn it was a great film. It is available on YouTube. The film gets interrupted a couple of times for commercials, but you can skip those after a few seconds, and it is well worth the time (80 minutes) invested! You can watch a trailer here.
Grain takes a deep dive into the growing analog photography renaissance with a focus on the timeless allure of film in an age dominated by digital precision, what I call “hyper-realism.” It helped me understand why so many photographers, especially GenZ and Millennials, are seeking out film photography’s unique textures, colors, grains, and unpredictability.
Many of the photographers work in both analog and digital and do not see it as a black or white choice. It is not a nostalgic choice but an artisanal one—preferring analog as a unique, rewarding medium with qualities that digital can only mimic. For these photographers, analog photography has a warm, tactile charm with limitations that spark creative solutions and methodology, a counterpoint to the infinite manipulation available in digital photography.
The documentary highlights the resurgence of analog in various communities, showcasing perspectives from renowned photographers like Alec Soth, Bruce Gilden and Renato D’Agostin, darkroom enthusiasts, festival organizers, and even students discovering film for the first time. It’s the joy of these young newcomers, untethered by format debates, that underscores the enduring magic of film.
While the rising costs of working with film are touched on briefly, Grain remains a romantic tribute to the analog film medium. It reassures us that photography on film is far from obsolete. Instead, it thrives as a resurgent art form, offering photographers freedom of choice in a world increasingly ruled by digital technology.
For anyone who loves analog photography or simply appreciates the beauty of a well-captured image, Grain is a must-watch. I loved it! Watch it on YouTube here.