As technology moves forward, there will always be those who try and keep the old ways of doing things alive. While typewriters aren’t quite on the same level as vinyl, the clunky, awkward machines are still used to this day by writers, artists, and even in offices, offering people a more tactile and intimate experience, that tapping at your keyboard. In the new documentary “California Typewriter,” the old school medium gets its chance to shine.
Bringing together a random collection of people including Tom Hanks, John Mayer, and Sam Shepard, the film from director Doug Nichol is a profile of the titular shop, and also explores the variety of people who cling to ribbons and Wite Out. Here’s the official synopsis:
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CALIFORNIA TYPEWRITER is a documentary portrait of artists, writers, and collectors who remain steadfastly loyal to the typewriter as a tool and muse, featuring Tom Hanks, John Mayer, David McCullough, Sam Shepard, and others.
It also movingly documents the struggles of California Typewriter, one of the last standing repair shops in America dedicated to keeping the aging machines clicking.
In the process, the film delivers a thought-provoking meditation on the changing dynamic between humans and machines, and encourages us to consider our own relationship with technology, old and new, as the digital age’s emphasis on speed and convenience redefines who’s serving whom, human or machine?
“California Typewriter” opens on August 18th.