Professor Ian Christie

I am a film and media historian, interested in communicating about aspects of these that people – especially young people – may not know about. I’ve specialised in reviving interest in ‘forgotten’ figures like Michael Powell and, currently, Robert Paul – the original creator of our film industry in the 1890s. I’ve also written and broadcast about well-known figures who continue to be interesting – Martin Scorsese, Terry Gilliam, Sergei Eisenstein. Victoriana, modern Russia (1890s to the present) are specialities; as are ‘old new media’, such as stereoscopes, flipbooks and other 19th century optical toys, which are always fun to demonstrate.