Nicolas Rodriguez Fuchs wrote us from Argentina, introducing one inspiring project, a documentary about the present of woodtype presses in Argentina. You can help this project come to completion at:losultimosdoc.com.ar
Buenos Aires deepest suburbs, July 2013. Three old print shops disputes the printing of cumbia and boxing posters. Second and third family generations keep these old presses going on printing in the way that workshops worked 100 years ago: the same machines, letterpress and workers, as if time had not passed. But they are getting old, machines are breaking and workshops agonize. They are aware that the road ahead is short. They are the last letterpressers in Argentina.
However, in the chaos of Buenos Aires downtown, some young designers started printing posters and cards with this ancient technique. In their small ateliers they combine the old craft with modern materials and designs, keeping it alive. Inspired and energetic they face the limitations and reflect about the value of time.
These two worlds combines old knowledge with new visions. A new dimension, where time limits get diffuse. A new voice appears, which includes the workshops slow music and gives eternity to feelings experienced for all those years.
Endless letterpress is a film about typography, but above all, about a group of people passionate for an ancient craft. Will these old presses and workshops survive in a new art? Or it’s a new fad?