The past weekend Tricia and I went to see Helvetica, a documentary film by Gary Hustwit.

One friend asked when inquiring about our plans for the evening: "They made a movie about a font?"

Oh yes! They sure did and with good reason. The documentary film Helvetica is as much about Helvetica the typeface as it is about the history of graphic design over the past fifty years.

People are passionate about Helvetica. Old school modernist like Massimo Vignelli believe Helvetica is the only font that anyone would ever need to use. While other design legends such as Eric Siekermann and David Carson lay out their arguments as why its use should be abolished.

But more importantly, the film takes viewers through the use of Helvetica as it has passed in and out of style. Michael Bierut takes us through its introduction into commercial culture and how its was viewed as a breath of fresh air. Later, during the seventies, for example, Paula Scher points out its association with corporate entities, the government, and 'the man'.

But more importantly, what the film shows us is how Helvetica has superceded its ability to exist as the neutral entity it was originally designed as. Through its proliferation and and appropriation into the global dynamic of diverging capital culture, Helvetica is more than typeface. Helvetica is a cultural institution which each generation of design has developed their own unique relation to.

Helvetica the film is currently playing at the IFC in NYC and hopefully at an independent movie theater near you.