Critic Shelf
Home
Discover
Sign in
Your rating
Tap a star, half steps count

Edwardian Insects on Film

Mar 19, 2013 · 59m
No ratings yet
Documentary

PLOT

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.

REVIEWS

View reviews

CAST

Charlie Hamilton James
Self - Presenter
David Attenborough
Self
Dr Tim Boon
Self - Science Museum, London
David Cleveland
Self - Film Archivist
Tim Cockerill
Self - Entomologist
Bryony Dixon
Self - Curator, Silent Film, BFI
Jenny Hammerton
Self - Film Archivist
Michael Harvey
Self - National Media Museum
Directed by John Holdsworth

DETAILS

Status
Released
Original language
EN
Budget
—
Revenue
—
Production
National Media Museum, BFI National Archive, BBC, Mentorn Media
Country
US, GB

SIMILAR TITLES

The End of Salò
2008
It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures
2001
The Hellstrom Chronicle
1971
Spielberg
2017
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn
2007
How to Lose Jobs & Alienate Girlfriends
2015
Critic Shelf
Rate what you watch, show it on shelves, and compare taste with anyone. Film and TV data from TMDB.
ACCOUNT
Sign in
Create account
Delete account
COMPANY
About
Contact
Privacy
Terms
This product uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.
© 2026 Critic Shelf
WATCH · RATE · COMPARE