Traditional 35mm film photography is booming among young people born with digital cameras in their hands.
“The demand is very strong actually. Even that the suppliers are struggling to provide us with enough films to be able to meet 100% demand. We get our supplies from several places to make sure we always have a certain number in store,” says Jean-François Gauthier, manager of the Gosselin store in Place de la cité, in Quebec City.
Same story at the Image St-Jean center in Lévis. Steve Roy, co-owner, argues that. since 2019, the sale of 35mm films has jumped 130% in its trade.
This craze is especially felt among young people aged 16 to 25 and the phenomenon is present everywhere internationally.
The American company Eastman Kodak Company, based in Rochester, New York, has recruited more than 300 workers over the past year and a half to produce 35mm films and is still in hiring mode.
"Demand for 35mm film has exploded over the past few years," Nagraj Bokinkere, Vice President of Film Manufacturing for Kodak, tweeted on October 12.
Current trend
Faced with a significant decline in sales, the company announced in 2004 the end of production of 35 mm cameras.
Many devices forgotten in the wardrobes of thatched cottages are therefore back in service.
"When it's always been well maintained and the mechanics are good, it works like new," adds Mr. Gauthier, who believes that the trend in Quebec City has accelerated over the past year and a half.
Film and digital represent two universes that require a different approach. It is not enough to press a button.
"Being limited to a film of 24 or 36 exposures and waiting for the development of the film to see the photos, it creates a desire where each pose becomes important", points out Mr. Roy.
Some compare the "renaissance" of film to the craze for vinyl records.
We are more in search of an experience than in instant consumption, underline the experts.
For Élizabeth Landry, a master's student in visual arts at Laval University, film has become her favorite medium.
She uses a camera with a camera. You know the ones with a little accordion in the middle? She places hers in the sixties.
“There is a slowness in the photo. [...] I use a device that is quite complex to assemble. With film, you can't take endless photos. We put more time into the preparation,” she shared.
Surprise, on hold
“I find it interesting to have the surprise at the end. There is an unexpected side. With film, we break with instantaneity. Looks like the photos are worth more,” she adds.
“We thought for a long time that it was just a fad, but we are thinking that people really like it. I have the impression that companies are starting to adjust their production. Six months ago, it was more difficult to have films. Now it's starting to get a little easier than it was,” says Gauthier.
