The Dying of the Light

The Dying of the Light (2015) is a documentary written and directed by Peter Flynn. The movie gives us many interviews with professional projectionists who have worked with 35 mm movie film.

Some of the projectionists are retired, and some are still working at theaters that have the capability of projecting 35 mm film. However, as the title suggests, movies shown on film are going the way of the steam locomotive.

The movie is full of nostalgia. These people spent years learning how to project 35 mm film, and now their knowledge is of little or no use. The reality is that--in one throwaway line--one of the projectionists admits that most people can't tell the difference between the appearance of 35 mm and digital projection. So, as hard as it is to watch the loss of the old technology, we have to accept this and move on.

We saw this movie as part of the excellent Rochester Labor Film Series. It was shown at the wonderful Dryden Theatre in the George Eastman Museum. The Dryden is a theater that routinely shows 35 mm film. Ironically, this film was shot in digital format, and therefore it was projected digitally.