A box has just arrived at the office from Urbanski Film Archival Film Supply, in the United States. Inside it: a small but deeply satisfying treasure : brand-new 16 mm reels, pristine, solid, and ready to carry films that still deserve to be projected properly. They arrived just in time for Christmas Eve, like a modest but meaningful gift to those of us who still believe in cinema as a physical object.
I have been a customer of Urbanski since the early 1990s, back in the glorious days of The Big Reel magazine, when the world of non-theatrical film distribution, archival projection, and hands-on cinema culture still had a visible international network. Many things have vanished since then, but Urbanski remains, a quiet constant in a landscape that has otherwise surrendered to disposability.
In Spain, there are still one or two manufacturers producing reels and cans for 35 mm and Super-8. But 16 mm, once the backbone of educational, cultural, and independent cinema, has been left orphaned. No local production, no domestic supply. And so, for this format, there is no choice: reels must cross the Atlantic.
Even in these difficult times (import duties, paperwork, delays, and the bureaucratic absurdities of our era), it is still worth doing. Because a film without a proper reel is like a book without a spine. These reels are not accessories; they are part of the film’s dignity, its longevity, and its ability to circulate without damage.
So yes, a cardboard box from the USA, filled with 16 mm film reels, may not look like much to the outside world. But here, it feels like continuity. Like a handshake across decades. Like cinema saying, once again: I’m still here.
And that, especially at Christmas, is reason enough to celebrate.
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