R W PAUL - THE COLLECTED FILMS 1895-1908 - DVD

RW PAUL
The Collected Films 1895 - 1908

Robert W Paul is justly celebrated as the leading pioneer of British film and one of the founders of world cinema. Paul produced what is arguably the first British narrative film A Soldier's Courtship (1896, now lost), and in 1898 became the first person to edit two scenes together in Come Along, Do!. With the help of former magician Walter Booth, he created elaborate fantasies in the mould of George Méliès such as The ? Motorist (1906), in which an animated motorcar drives off into space and round the rings of Saturn.

Concentrating first on actuality films resulting in his famous record of the 1896 Derby and his unique films of the Anglo-Boer war he soon branched out, pioneering almost every kind of film from documentary to fiction and fantasy.

The unique collection represented an attempt to bring together for the first time the collected output of R W Paul and his studio. The 62 films collected here many preserved by the BFI National Archive have been gathered with the help of archives and collectors around the world. These rare films are presented here with a brand new musical accompaniment by celebrated pianist Stephen Horne.

DVD extras

• Audio commentary by distinguished scholar Professor Ian Christie (With optional hard-of-hearing subtitles)