California Typewriter is a documentary about three various typewriter enthusiasts, delves into a little bit of the history of the machine, and dissects its recent tentative resurgence. The primary subjects in the film are 19th century typewriter collector Martin Howard, typewriter-parts sculpture artist Jeremy Mayer, and the titular shop's repairman employee Ken Alexander. Those along with various other talking head interviews and archival footage round out a surprisingly deft and compelling love letter to the typewriter as well as an elegant critique of the digital age.
The film is shot and edited simply and competently and lets the various characters within shine with some wry flourishes. For example during part of the interview with John Meyer he is philosophizing about the "unplugged" freedom of his typewriter, pauses, his phone dings, and he immediately checks it the film then cuts away. Further description would lessen the impact but suffice it say there are some beautiful images of solid mechanics as well as surprisingly soulful and eccentric characters.
Inspiring and intriguing.
See It.
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