Don’t say goodbye to black and white just yet. A small number of directors are using the format in ways that not only embrace its monochromatic appeal but also transcend it.

In January this year, Eastman Kodak filed for bankruptcy and with that the impending death of celluloid as a medium looks near. As with every technology that is phased out, the obituaries grow more poignant. When the news of Kodak's financial trouble broke, it caused film critic Roger Ebert to wonder: Who would have dreamed film would die so quickly? The victory of video was quick and merciless.

As we herald Blu-ray discs, we mourn the decline of the vinyl record. And as we go about buying the next iPhone we sometimes lapse into a monologue on landlines. Not always because they were superior but because they take us back to a different time, maybe even a simpler time. It's the same then when it comes to our cinematic ideals such as Citizen Kane, Pather Panchali and Mughal-E-Azam.