Edwardian Insects on Film
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.
- Overview
- Cast
- Crew
- Recommendations
Edwardian Insects on Film
- Overview
- Cast
- Crew
- Recommendations
Status
Released
Release Date
Mar 19, 2013
Runtime
0h 59m
Genres
Documentary
User Score
90%
Original Title
Edwardian Insects on Film
Production Companies
National Media Museum, BFI National Archive, BBC, Mentorn Media
Director
John Holdsworth
Description
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.
