Book review – FILM by Tacita Dean

A book about film and the importance of the analogue in the digital age.

I came across this book at the stationary & art store on a discount book rack section. The whole area is label with 70% discount sign scotch tape on the rack and the books were stacked and pile up unorganized. They all seems unloved and neglected.

What caught my attention was the book cover, boldly in bright red tint is the film strip across the book. Since my career started during the time of the DSLR revolution or the “5D mark 2” I wasn’t exposed or well familiar with shooting with film. So naturally, I wanted to learn more about what makes film so special and why people to this day still talked about and when possible shoot film.

The first section of the book is introduced by Tacita Dean and her experience with film and how she came about to create an art installation called “FILM 2011” a portrait of the analogue, photochemical, non-digital medium of film displayed in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. The rest of the book is dedicated to other 80+ artists' opinions on the importance of film and their experience with the dying art form. Contributor ranges from filmmaker, professor, to curator, etc.

They each have a page or two to share their thoughts and experience with film. I was inspired by their writing so I thought I’ll do the same but from the millennial perspective who has shot film stills a couple of times on my dad still camera –