Film VS Digital: The Documentary

Just found out from the wonderful Empire that Keanu Reeves is presenting/starring in a new documentary, Side by Side, about the evolution of filmmaking from traditional celluloid means to the current trend for digital technologies.  The Empire article seems to suggest that Reeves has played a big part in rounding up the many big-time directors interviewed in the film and I'm sure his presence has no doubt helped in getting the likes of Scorsese, Fincher, Cameron, Soderbergh, Lynch, Boyle, Linklater and many others to show up and give their opinions.  But I'm equally sure credit must go to director Christopher Kenneally and his production team.  Check out the trailer below:


Side by Side Official Trailer (2012) from Company Films on Vimeo.



Look at that list of names!  The last time I saw so many great directors in a documentary was The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing and that has been an essential teaching tool for me ever since I came across it at university.  See part 1 below:



If Side by Side is even half as good as that was at explaining things, I will be very happy.  I am not a technophile.  I find technology very difficult to understand.  I can sometimes see the difference between digital and film.  I know I'm not generally a fan of 3D because I don't think it adds much to the pleasures of cinema.  But that's about it so I can't wait to hear from the experts. 

Side by Side premieres at the Berlin Film Festival in February.  I wonder what they shot it on?