Upcoming documentary Retro Culture, screening on Sky Arts next Monday, investigates the resurgence in vintage style in recent years. The film recounts this “retro-mania” and asks whether looking to the past helps people to live better in the present.
The documentary discusses the vintage-inspired movement in pop culture, seen in
A retro obsession can take you away from the present. It can be a form of escapism from the "real world" we live in with its shiny new products and 24/7 screen-filled lives.
Listening to the music of the 60s or using a 70s food processor can help to create a fantasy world. But is that a problem? Maybe only when it becomes an addiction — when the collection of retro goods threatens to take over somebody's life. Mostly, it is just a harmless hobby, and, I imagine, a better form of escapism than many other addictions.
• Retro Culture screens on the Sky Arts channel Monday May 4 at 8.30pm.
