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Amazing Film Find in UK.
A trove of silent films, some dating back 100 but with the help of Internet forums, they have
years, were discovered in a dumped shelf unit been able to identify a few.
at recycling centre in Sidmouth, Devon, by
father and daughter film buffs Mike and Rach- Rachael said: “The Cardboard Lover is a great
ael Grant. find, but we only have one reel of that film. “It
was a feature film, so would have come on six
Their interest was sparked after spotting two 16 or seven reels. It's a shame we don't have all of
mm film reels placed next to a paint tin, which them but, with a find like that, you don't get
was wedged behind a cupboard. They found a upset you don't have them all - you are glad you
further ten old 35 mm and 16 mm films dating even got one”.
back to 1909, including a copy of The Card-
board Lover, one of just two remaining copies
in the world. The rest are a variety of feature
films and shorts, ranging roughly from 1909 to
1913, and include films from France, Italy,
India, America and the UK.

Mr Grant ap-
proached the
staff at the re-
cycling centre
to purchase Film buffs Mike Grant, and daughter, Rachael, came
the tin and its across the historic reels at the recycling centre
contents, and
was amazed She discovered that only one other copy re-
when they mained - in the Library of Congress in Wash-
wanted just ington - but that copy was heavily damaged.
£10. They are After further research, the family have been
now going to informed that their version is in a better condi-
donate them tion.
to the British
Film Institute. Not all of the films were labelled. Above, a still
Films discovered in old from one of the movie reels that has yet to be
paint tin Mr Grant said: identified
“I regularly go
to look in the recycling centre, when I'm in the Rachael said: “We have contacted the British
area. We couldn't believe what we found. It was Film Institute, and will be loaning the films to
a real find, it's the biggest thing I have ever them. The BFI archive is the best place for
found, not the sort of thing you expect to see - them”
especially at a tip”.
“We are not asking for any money. Our main
After buying the collection, they took them priority is to see the films looked after and
home and began researching exactly what they properly identified. I would also love to see the
had found. Only some of the tins were labelled, films. We don't have the equipment to play
so the identity of others remains a mystery - them, so it would be great if the BFI could
invite us to watch the films one day”.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/

REEL DEALS March 2019 17