Project Detail

Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith

Synopsis

A meditative, immersive tribute to the astonishing work and achievements of naturalist, inventor and pioneering filmmaker F. Percy Smith. Smith worked in the early years of the 20th century, developing various cinematographic and micro-photographic techniques to capture nature's secrets in action. Working in a number of public roles, including the Royal Navy and British Instructional Films, Smith was prolific and driven, often directing several films simultaneously, apparently on a mission to explore and capture nature's hidden terrains.
This film is an interpretative edit that combines Smith's original footage with a new contemporary score by tindersticks to create a hypnotic, alien yet familiar dreamscape that connects us to the sense of wonder Smith must have felt as he peered through his own lenses and seen these micro-worlds for the first time. (LFF brochure)
Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2016 - Sonic Strand - World premiere

Details

Year
2016
Type of project
Shorts
Running time
55 mins
Director
Stuart A. Staples
Producer
David Reeve, Stuart A. Staples
Co-Producer
BFI
Editor
David Reeve, Stuart A. Staples
Director of Photography
F. Percy Smith
Composer
tindersticks with Thomas Belhom and Christine Ott

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Lucky Dog Inc

Stuart A. Staples

Studio Moe

David Reeve

Sales Company

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Franco, Ale, and Benji walking down Leith Walk after rehearsal. When Cumbia is On

Director: Maria Paz Gonzales

Year: 2024

When Cumbia is On follows three South American musicians and traces the sound of cumbia music through the streets of Edinburgh, asking whether this rhythm is what lets them build a sense of belonging in a foreign land.

Frank Zappa reads at The Nova Convention in New York City NOVA '78

Director: Aaron Brookner, Rodrigo Areias

Year: 2025

NOVA '78 resurrects the legendary Nova Convention, the groundbreaking three-day gathering held in New York in 1978 to celebrate William S. Burroughs and the artistic revolution he inspired. Built from newly restored, previously unseen 16mm footage shot by Howard Brookner, the film captures extraordinary performances and intimate backstage moments featuring Patti Smith, Frank Zappa, Laurie Anderson, Allen Ginsberg, Philip Glass, John Cage, Merce Cunningham and many other defining voices of the era. More than a concert film or historical record, NOVA '78 is an immersive time capsule of a fleeting moment when literature, music, art and radical ideas collided to reshape contemporary culture.

Abdul Ahad Momand Forgotten Spaceman

Director: Elham Ehsas

Year: 2026

In 1988, Afghanistan sent its only astronaut into space, a journey that proved home can be farther than the stars. Official selection Locarno Film Festival 2026