One typeface, three experts, full house: On Thursday, April 17, 2008, Q presented the documentary »Helvetica« as a Wiesbaden premiere. The film by Gary Hustwit, shown at numerous international festivals, explores how Helvetica became the most popular font and decisively influenced type in urban spaces. The documentary includes Hustwit’s interviews with leading designers about their perspective on Helvetica and shows examples of Helvetica in metropolises worldwide.

Before the film, the audience experienced an exclusive and passionate podium discussion by three distinguished participants in the Spiegelsaal of Wiesbaden’s Walhalla Theater. Dr. Walter Greisner (age-group 1928, Helvetica pioneer, former CEO of type foundry D. Stempel AG), Bertram Schmidt-Friderichs (publisher, printer, typographer), and Professor Werner Schneider (type designer, type artist) talked about the boon and bane of Helvetica, which became a worldwide standard as the Lufthansa corporate font, and the spread of type computerization.

Q thanks Linotype AG, Nassauische Sparkasse, BKS, Arjowiggins, and Walhalla Theater for their generous support to make this presentation possible. The evening was a kick-off event of the Wiesbaden Days for Creative Business (Access all areas).