The Last Analog Girl is a 2020 American documentary short film directed by Jude Abbott as her thesis project at the New Mexico Film School. Following her earlier short films Desert Mothers (2019) and Leaving Las Cruces (2018), which were screened privately and released on YouTube, The Last Analog Girl marks Abbott’s first significant release. Shot entirely on 16mm film, the 28-minute documentary serves as both a personal meditation on analog processes and a gentle critique of digital culture. The film gained attention in the independent film community for its intimate portrayal of analog film-making and thoughtful examination of human connection in the digital age.

Synopsis

Through a series of carefully composed vignettes, Abbott documents her own relationship with analog film processes, from loading film stock and adjusting manual camera settings to developing negatives in the darkroom. These technical sequences are interwoven with quiet moments of personal reflection, including scenes of Abbott writing in her journal, developing photographs, and discussing her philosophy about slowness and intention in both art and life.

The film’s narrative is built around Abbott’s own voice-over, reading excerpts from her production journals that explore themes of patience, presence, and the tactile nature of analog processes. These reflections are paired with long, contemplative shots that demonstrate the very principles she discusses - the waiting, the careful attention to detail, and the acceptance of imperfection that comes with analog methods.

Production

Abbott shot the film over six months in 2019, primarily in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico. Working with a minimal budget funded by student loans and a small grant from the university’s film department, she used borrowed equipment from the school’s film program and processed much of the film herself in the university’s darkroom facilities.

The decision to shoot exclusively on 16mm film was integral to the project’s themes, with Abbott incorporating the inherent challenges and limitations of the medium into the narrative itself. When a roll of film was damaged during processing, she included the warped and distorted footage in the final cut, using it to illustrate the beauty of analog imperfection.

Release and Reception

The film premiered at the New Mexico Film School’s annual student showcase in January 2020, where it received the Faculty Choice Award. It had a promising start with several scheduled art house screenings throughout New Mexico and Arizona, but many of these were cancelled when COVID-19 lockdowns began in March 2020.

Abbott pivoted to organize virtual screenings through independent theatres’ online platforms, which proved surprisingly effective for reaching audiences seeking thoughtful content during quarantine. The film’s meditation on slowness and presence resonated particularly well with viewers experiencing lockdown. When restrictions eased in late summer, the documentary screened at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival’s modified outdoor venue, where it won Best Short Documentary and caught the eye of several film critics who praised its contemplative approach and technical execution.

Critical Response

Writing for the Santa Fe New Mexican, film critic James Martinez called it “a quiet manifesto for slowness in an age of speed,” praising Abbott’s “remarkably assured vision” and her ability to make “the methodical process of analog film-making feel like meditation.”

The Albuquerque Journal described it as “a tender love letter to analog processes that somehow avoids nostalgia in favour of present-moment appreciation.”

Awards

• Faculty Choice Award - New Mexico Film School Student Showcase (2020)

• Special Jury Prize for Visual Poetry - Phoenix Film Festival (2020)

Legacy

The success of The Last Analog Girl established Abbott as a promising voice in documentary film-making and led to her receiving several grants for future projects. The film continues to be screened in film schools as an example of personal documentary storytelling and has inspired discussions about the role of analog processes in contemporary film-making.