The other day, I came across this short independent film from a group called The Bakery in the U.K.  It was released about two months ago, and from what I understand, it has enjoyed a mild amount of fame.  I know that this blog doesn't have a great many readers, but I'd like to do what I can to get the film and its message out there.

The Last Bookshop is about a future where the printed word, even the e-book and e-reader, have died out.  There is one bookshop left in the entire world, and a young boy who has never seen or heard of books stumbles across it.

Okay, so I went into this film on the verge of tears from imagining the very last bookshop in the world.  I was already convinced that this would be the saddest movie ever made, hands down, but it was a little more complex than that.  I don't want to spoil it, so here it is so that you can find out for yourself.




See?  See what it did there?  It got you all hopeful, then left you standing in the street, confused and remorseful and sullen.  There were just so many profound things to think about all packed into twenty minutes. My favorite part:

"In the old days, did everyone used to read books?"
"As a lad, we all queued up at midnight for a book about a wizard.  It was the vogue."

At first I was like, "Omg, they're talking about Harry Potter, I queued up at midnight for Harry Potter!"  But then I was like, "Wait, if the owner of the bookshop queued up for Harry Potter, that means that this will have happened within my lifetime..."  And then I was sad. =[

I sincerely hope that a future like the one in the film never comes to be, that people strive to teach the next generation the value of reading and imagination.  I know that my blog is really only interesting to people who already read or write, but outside of blogging, I do my best to support reading and literacy initiatives, programs that get books to children, bookstores, libraries, and I even just tell people I meet how amazing reading can be.  I promise that I'll be providing more posts in the future that will lead you in the right direction to do all of those things yourself.  I encourage anyone who enjoys this blog to do their part to ensure that reading and readers don't die out and to pass on the joy of books to the next generation. 

If you'd like a look behind the scenes of The Last Bookshop, you can visit the official blog for the project by clicking here.  Also, Hall's Bookshop is a real place in Tunbridge Wells, U.K., so if you're ever in the area, you can pay them a visit. 

If you've seen any other films like The Last Bookshop that you know I've got to see, don't hesitate to give me the link!