A few days ago I caught a television news report on the latest attempts of the Impossible Project to revive instant film. For those not familiar with this group, here is a part of their mission statement:
Production of analog Instant Film stopped in June 2008, closing the factories in Mexico (Instant Packfilm production) and the Netherlands (Instant Integral production).
Impossible b.v. has been founded with the concrete aim to re-invent and re-start production of analog INTEGRAL FILM for vintage Polaroid cameras...
The Impossible mission is NOT to re-build Polaroid Integral film but (with the help of strategic partners) to develop a new product with new characteristics, consisting of new optimised components, produced with a streamlined modern setup. An innovative and fresh analog material, sold under a new brand name that perfectly will match the global re-positioning of Integral Films.
This dream is, as their own title implies, doomed to fail. The main advantage of instant film was obviously the "instant" feedback, something easily surpassed today by a fast digital camera possessing a large LCD screen. There will always be a few diehards who prefer the tactile qualities of film, which I get. But even if the project invents a new version of instant film, for the vast majority of casual photographers, this is rendered irrelevant by the convenience of modern technology.
But I have a soft spot for the quixotic, and part of me likes the idea of an analog alternative to our digital world. So as much as I don't see this project going anywhere, I wish these people good luck.
