Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2012

An impressive array of film directors (incl. Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriguez, David Lynch) as well as several legendary cinematographers, editors and color timers debate the impact that digital technology is having on traditional, photochemical moviemaking. If this sounds a little nerdy and dull, it’s anything but. Writer/director Chris Kenneally’s entertaining documentary explores some thought-provoking quandaries. As one pro praises the “freedom” that digital shooting allows, another likens it to trading in oil paints for a box of crayons. Does using easier and cheaper shooting methods with instant rather than overnight rushes enhance or erode the creative process? Is digital ruining the cinema or just part of its inevitable evolution? Is the accumulated wisdom of 100 years of filmmaking in danger of being forgotten? And what about archiving? Ironically, with such rapid changes in digital formats, the only failsafe way to preserve a digitally shot flick is to transfer it to film. Co-producer, narrator and interviewer Keanu Reeves, aside from putting himself in a few too many shots, does okay. Dude’s Neo, after all. A fascinating sit for anyone who likes the movies.