We see it again and again.
A new technology comes along sweeping all before it, and we’re breathlessly told by visionaries with rose-tinted glasses on it and a glass half-full in their hand, that the world will be a far better place when it has supplanted all those pesky old technologies that are not long for this Earth.
But while there’s often a lot of good to be had from the new and yes, it should be embraced where it adds something of value, that doesn’t mean the past should simply be discarded as if it never mattered.
In fact, humanity has shown a remarkable talent for confounding the visionaries by embracing the shiny new glittery things while at the same time, and in wilfully delicious contravention of prophecies loudly proclaimed, holding tight to the old and the beloved.
It’s not a uniform pattern, and history is littered with things once valued and esteemed which simply didn’t engender enough love in the hearts of men and women.
But as print books and television have already shown, people don’t let go of things they love easily, and the same is proving true when it comes to things like LPs, cassettes and yes, the humble old VHS cassette as an inspiring and heartwarming just under 5 minute doc, Videoport: A Short Doc makes clear.
As Cheryl Eddy from Gizmodo explains, reports of the death of quirky video rental stores, which functioned as not simply a “place to physically rent movies, but a hub of offbeat culture that had become its own community over the years”, have been, in Twain-esque fashion, been a tad exaggerated:
“Fortunately, there’s an unexpectedly happy ending (which isn’t just an isolated case!) The takeaway is that while viewing habits and technology may change, the love of cinema is something that will always endure.”
No video stores may not fully survive the brave new pop culture world of streaming and mobile devices, but don’t count them out just yet, or if history is any guide, at all.
Videoport: A Short Doc from p3 on Vimeo.