It's June in Seattle, which means that just as the sky is starting to transform from grey to blue, everyone runs inside dark movie theaters for the Seattle International Film Festival - in case you were wondering, the largest film festival in North America.
One of the joys of being a consultant is that you can actually go to some of the very good but lightly attended films that are shown in the middle of the weekday, instead of just the blockbuster stuff that gets shown nights and weekends. So, today I made it to my first ever "middle of the weekday" film, but justified the indulgence by seeing something retail related.
Out of Time is an Austrian documentary film about four very small retail businesses run by aging owners the old fashioned way: a butcher shop, a button shop, a leather goods store and a drug store that still mixes drugs by hand. It's clear the businesses won't survive gentrification, nor will some of their owners (well into their 80's) likely survive another decade. Business is not brisk, but the few customers are attentively cared for and helped with precision and passion.
Warning to any who seek out this film - the pace is at times as slow as the businesses depicted, but at under 90 minutes, it's a valuable last glimpse into a world that is fading fast, and a world that many generations of retailers will never experience. A couple of times I found myself wishing for the opportunity to look a customer in the eye, shake their hand and see their appreciation for personal service. Those of us that make a living in the new world don't get that opportunity very often.
And if any of my clients are reading this, don't worry. I don't go to movies every day.
Comments