Berlin Film Festival: Keanu Reeves tackles film vs. digital

Capturing a fleeting moment in time before it disappears forever is one of the essential functions of a film camera. A new documentary, “Side by Side,” aims to grasp the transition from photochemical film to digital in an objective way, by talking to some of the most opinionated people in the business, from George Lucas to Lars von Trier to David Fincher.  The movie premiered Thursday at the Berlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Special section.

“Side by Side” is directed by Chris Kenneally  (“Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating”), with Keanu Reeves playing a dual role as co-producer (with Justin Szlasa) and interviewer.   The two have woven a user-friendly but detailed look at the tools and techniques that are challenging tradition, working their way through filming, editing, color correction, digital effects, distribution, projection, and archiving.  

Kenneally and Reeves came up with the project while working together on “Henry's Crime.” Reeves starred in and produced the 2010 film; Kenneally supervised its post-production.  “We were having all the same conversations you see in the movie,” remembers  Kenneally.  “One day Keanu's just like, 'You know what? We should make a documentary about this.' ”

The two went on to interview a lengthy dream list of directors, cinematographers, editors, technicians, and even a couple of NYU film students, all of whom have heartfelt and often hilarious commentary to offer Reeves, who elicits a relaxed conversational tone from his subjects. 

LucasFilm's long-delayed 'Red Tails' coming in January [Trailer]

It's been a long road for "Red Tails," the film about the Tuskegee Airmen from World War II that George Lucas produced and financed through his LucasFilm. Starring Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr. and a slew of young up-and-comers including David Oyelowo ("The Help") and Michael B. Jordan (best known for his role in the television show "Parenthood"), "Red Tails" began production in 2009 only to get slowed down in the edit bay.

The film required reshoots, and director Anthony Hemingway had to move off the project to resume his duties on the HBO series "Treme." As such Lucas and producer Richard McCullum oversaw the reshoots --with Hemingway's approval.

The film now has a release date: Jan. 20, 2012 -- the Friday following the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday -- courtesy of 20th Century Fox, the studio that's released all of Lucas' films. Check out the trailer below.

RELATED:

From the L.A. Times archives: Lucas on 'Red Tails' in 1990

-- Nicole Sperling

Photo: George Lucas and the stormtroopers. Credit: Richard Lewis/EPA