meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Candid Frame: Conversations on Photography

TCF Ep. 473 - Willem Baptist

The Candid Frame: Conversations on Photography

Ibarionex R. Perello

Cameras, Art, Photoshop, Visual Arts, Career, Interviews, Photographers, Arts, Photography, Photo, Digital

4.8749 Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2019

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Willem Baptist is a Dutch filmmaker and documentary-director whose latest film is Instant Dreams. Instant Dreams is a feature documentary about the fascination and love for Polaroids. When Polaroid announced the end of instant film in 2008, the last still working factory was bought by a small group of enthusiasts. Among them is the retired scientist Stephen Herchen who previously collaborated with the inventor of Polaroid and is still trying to unravel the secret of the lost chemical formula.   Photographer Links:   Education Resources:   Candid Frame Resources   Download the free Candid Frame app for your favorite smart device. Click here to download for . Click here to download   Support the work we do at The Candid Frame with contributing to our Patreon effort.  You can do this by visiting or visiting the website and clicking on the Patreon button. You can also provide a one-time donation via . You can follow Ibarionex on and .

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Woodes from Memmond, North Carolina, and you are listening to The Candid Frank.

0:14.3

When I think about what made Polaroid so magical, I don't believe it was just the speed by which I saw an image.

0:23.6

We have much quicker results with a digital camera, and I can't say that I experience the same

0:29.3

feelings of anticipation, glee, and surprise as when I used my family's SX-70 camera.

0:38.4

William Baptiste's film Instant Dreams

0:41.0

explores the emotions and the spirit

0:44.1

that made the experience of using Polaroid film

0:47.2

such a unique and creative one.

0:50.3

He does so by challenging our expectations

0:52.8

of a traditional documentary and infuses his film with visual flourishes more often associated with fictional films and television.

1:03.0

He wants us to think of Polaroid, not just as a product, but to remember and value it for the experience it provided.

1:12.6

Maybe you remember like the days of writing to your pen pals, you know, or to a loved one

1:19.2

or vacation love.

1:21.6

Just writing, you have to experience of writing the letter, the anticipation of getting a letter, has he read it, has he read it,

1:29.6

what does he can he say, and then reading the text, waiting by the mailbox or whatever.

1:35.6

So there's a whole set of experiences that goes into making a Polaroid photo.

1:41.9

The reason why Polaroid in films of its type continue to fascinate both young and old

1:47.9

has nothing to do with how flawless the images are.

1:52.4

It's not that Polaroids are perfect in any technical way.

1:56.2

To the contrary, it's their perfect imperfection that help make those images so unique and special.

2:03.6

We all experience life, you all know the imperfections of our own lives.

2:07.6

You can find that in those images.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Ibarionex R. Perello, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Ibarionex R. Perello and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.