We speak to director David Wilkinson about The First Film

The First Film is filmmaker David Wilkinson’s 32-year quest to prove that in October 1888, Louis Le Prince produced the world’s first films in Leeds, England. Our Artistic Director: Film, Jason Wood, caught up with David to find out more.

Jason Wood: The First Film has been a labour of love. How long did it take you to complete?

David Wilkinson: The First Film was first pitched to the BBC in 1982 and then to everyone else  – and I do mean everyone –  at intervals after that. We went into pre-production in October 2012 and I completed in March 2015.  Not one penny came from the British film or TV industry, apart from what I invested in hard cash. During 2014 I was Executive Producing How to Change the World, another documentary feature with a budget of over 10 times more. However, my long gestation period and lack of money greatly helped me creatively. I am so pleased I had the breathing space, as it allowed me to change things as I discovered more.

JW: There is a sense that people are loathe to credit Leeds as being the birthplace of film because it is a regional city. Do you think this is true?

DW: It happens with many things, not just film. There is a strange view that anything that is good must come out of a capital city. I was persuaded to edit out a scene because I was told that it made me come across like a chippy Northerner and weakened my case.  I said, “if Le Prince had done what he did in London, Paris or New York, everyone would have known about it 100 years ago” – and I totally believe that.  One UK broadcaster said to me, many years ago now, half jokingly, “David it’s about Leeds. Who gives a damn about Leeds”. Guess where he lived and was born!

JW: What do you hope to achieve with the film? It has attracted a lot of attention. Do you wish to re-assert the role of Le Prince and the city of Leeds in cinema history?

DN: I have done it. I have been in the industry for 45 years and I have never been involved in anything that has had such a high profile. I have had detailed features in six major publications plus BBC Radio 4’s Today programme and News at Ten. Eight million people watch that and the producers thought it so important they made it a news story. Millions of people will now know the truth about Le Prince and Leeds and very few of them will ever watch the film or be interested in watching it. Without the film coming out, that publicity would not have happened. The film may never recoup and I will not be paid anything, but I am so pleased with the coverage. It’s what every filmmaker wants… but deep down, I would love it if more people did watch it. It is a truly fascinating story and if it was a fiction film, people would say “unbelievable”.

The First Film screens on Mon 3 Aug, when director David Wilkinson also joins us for a Q&A. Find out more and buy tickets, here