Subito – Instant Photography

Directed by Peter Volkart

A photo that you hold in your hand immediately after clicking? 70 years ago this was an almost magical innovation! The story begins in the post-war period with the brilliant American inventor Dr. Edwin Land. Polaroid’s instant photography is born, a phenomenon that subsequently shapes whole generations of snap shooters and photographers, attracting a wide array of wildly experimenting artists. Half a century and a digital revolution later, the demise of Polaroid seems unavoidable. But the presumably dead keep on living. What follows is the miraculous resurrection of a cult object in a world dominated by Smartphones. SUBITO is not just an originally narrated film about the origin and importance of instant photography, it is also a highly amusing insight into popular culture and the untiring human enthusiasm for technical novelty. Renowned film artist Peter Volkart ventures into feature film length for the first time with this fascinating and sprightly narrated documentary essay.