Helvetica

Free documentary screening demonstrates the power of font

By Carrigan Denny-Brown

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Stare at that American Apparel ad a little longer—no, not at those, look at the font. It's Helvetica, a typeface that is bold, precise, and, like the babe in the ad, it's on every street corner. However, the story of Helvetica and how it came to be so "used" isn't what you think; in fact, it's a story about the tides of war, radical idealism and the neutral Swiss.

In the documentary film Helvetica, the origins and motivations of the promiscuous font are brought to light, and I promise, you have never heard design geeks speak so lustily about anything. Design is a universal language that influences the way we think, act and organize ourselves. And as much as the words themselves are important, the medium by which we are told where we are and where we should aspire to go is our silent negotiator. Given that Helvetica is the font we most see on our street signs, advertisements and corporate slogans, it's no wonder that Helvetica has raised controversy, being labeled by some as the typeface of capitalism, and by others as the typeface of socialism.

Being somewhat of a font nerd myself, I was truly moved by the poetic and inspiring way that such famous designers and typographers as Neville Brody and Michael Bierut describe their artform and the power of a single font. And even the tasteless heathens will appreciate the excellent cinematography and soundtrack, which includes Caribou, El Ten Eleven and Motohiro Nakashima. In photo-like, single shots, we see text in a new way—through a designer's expert lens, as it's slathered on signs, walls and windows in over 50 cities worldwide. Ambient music plays and the skeptical viewer is mysteriously convinced by the sensitivities of the distances between letters.

Helvetica speaks.

HELVETICA

SATURDAY 12.13.08

RABB LECTURE HALL

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

700 BOYLSTON ST., BOSTON

2PM/FREE

RSVP: PROGRAMS@USAHOSTELS.ORG

BPL.ORG

HELVECTICAFILM.COM