In 1908, amateur naturalist and pioneering filmmaker Percy Smith stunned early cinema goers with his footage of the juggling fly. Hailed as the father of Natural History film, Smith was a hugely influential visual pioneer, inventing many techniques that are still used today. Being both a genius and an eccentric, we follow his life from his earliest films, to the collapse of his house from his mould experiment to his ultimate suicide. We also meet Natural History icon Sir David Attenborough, who was so amazed by Smith’s films in the 1930s that they inspired him to get into natural history.
- Status
- Released
- Production
- National Media Museum, BFI National Archive, BBC, Mentorn Media
Keywords
- insect
- movie business
- percy smith
Links
Top Cast
Charlie Hamilton James as Self - Presenter
David Attenborough as Self
Dr Tim Boon as Self - Science Museum, London
David Cleveland as Self - Film Archivist
Tim Cockerill as Self - Entomologist
Bryony Dixon as Self - Curator, Silent Film, BFI
Jenny Hammerton as Self - Film Archivist
Michael Harvey as Self - National Media Museum
Top Crew
John Holdsworth · Director, Cinematographer
Rich Wheat · Editor
Emma Morgan · Executive Producer
Reviews
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