Once called the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, the Linotype transformed communication of information during its introduction in the late 1880s, but sadly today, the machines are being melted-down by the thousand.

Linotype: The Film is a feature length documentary which tells the story of the people still connected to the Linotype, as well as how it impacted the world. The current operators of the Linotype are in a battle against time. If their skills are not passed along to a new generation of operators, the machine will die completely. There is a small group of former operators that want to save the Linotype from the scrap yard, but some see this as a fruitless endeavor. The film also answers other questions such as: What place does the Linotype have in the age of new technology? Should the machine be shoved into a museum and left to rust? Why should anyone care about typography or the technology of communication?

The graphic design department at Holmesglen Institute of TAFE is hosting the Australian premiere of Linotype: the Film at ACMI in Melbourne on Tuesday 29 May, 2012 at 7pm. Tickets are $15 (or concession $12), buy your tickets here.

Keen? Watch the trailer below: