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The First Film
Directed by
David Wilkinson
Not Rated
2016
1h 46m
Documentary
,
Biography
,
and more
6.9
92%
75%
6.2
Add to Watchlist
Leeds born filmmaker David Nicholas Wilkinson's thirty three year quest to prove that the worlds film industry started in Leeds, Yorkshire, England in 1888.
More
Where to Watch The First Film
Tubi TV
Free
Amazon Prime Video
Subscription
Cast of The First Film
David Wilkinson
Himself / Director / Writer / Producer
Tom Courtenay
Himself
Katharine Round
Herself
Tony Pierce-Roberts
Himself
Ronald Harwood
Himself
Joe Eszterhas
Himself
Stéphane Cornicard
Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince (voice)
Ben Eagle
Adolphe Le Prince (voice)
Sarah Lancashire
Lizze Le Prince (voice)
Andreea Păduraru
Annie Hartley
Irfan Shah
Writer
David Hughes
Editor
Christopher Barnett
Music
The First Film Ratings & Reviews
Shadows on the Wall
Rich Cline
A personal 30-year quest by filmmaker Wilkinson to get to the bottom of an astonishing omission from film history, this documentary plays out like an urgent mystery.
Radio Times
David Parkinson
This is a meticulously researched investigation into the achievements and mysterious disappearance of Le Prince, who vanished without trace while travelling on the Dijon-Paris express in September 1890.
Scotsman
Alistair Harkness
Alas, Wilkinson's presenting style is a bit Alan Partridge and he just isn't very good at making the story come alive on screen.
Total Film
Simon Kinnear
Despite diligent research and expert help, the excitable presenter readily gives in to mythmaking, especially when conjecturing on Le Princes uncertain end.
Silent London
Pamela Hutchinson
It's a noble quest, and I applaud Wilkinson for taking it on.
CineVue
Martyn Conterio
The First Film should be a worthy resource for cinema history enthusiasts and students alike.
Independent (UK)
Geoffrey Macnab
The doc isn't especially cinematic but you can't help but admire the dogged passion with which Wilkinson has pursued his subject.
Empire Magazine
Ian Freer
A sincere, fascinating look at the birth of cinema.
Observer (UK)
Mark Kermode
A flickering story that blends intrigue, industrial espionage, and possibly even murder.
Guardian
Peter Bradshaw
Williamson makes a clear case that Le Prince was a prototypical film artist, and a genuine pioneer.
Times (UK)
Wendy Ide
Despite a crippling lack of solid information and a fair amount of speculation, the documentary mounts a solid case for Le Prince, an inventor and artist, to be recognised as the true father of film.
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