Documentary showcasing life of Bill Douglas to be shown in Exeter

A documentary about the life of Scottish filmmaker Bill Douglas is to be shown by the University of Exeter.

The university said Mr Douglas, who died of lung cancer in 1991 aged 57, was one of Britain's finest filmmakers and the founder of the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

The documentary, called Bill Douglas My Best Friend, will be screened at arts venue Exeter Phoenix on Saturday.

It marks what would have been Mr Douglas's 90th birthday.

'Fascinating details'

The university said the documentary would show the friendship between Mr Douglas and his lifelong friend and collaborator Peter Jewell, who he met while doing national service in the RAF in Egypt.

It was previously shown at the Glasgow and Venice film festivals and it is the first time it has been screened in England, it added.

"It includes 8mm footage - never seen before - showing Bill's talent developing at the very start of his career," the university said.

"The home movies were made between 1966 and 1969 before Bill - often seen as Scotland's greatest filmmaker - attended the London Film School, using a camera Peter had given him as a present for Christmas in 1965.

"Footage includes fascinating details of life in Soho in the 1960s, as well as holidays and Bill's first attempts at making fiction films in different styles featuring his friends."

The films were part of the thousands of artefacts held by the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

The museum was founded from a collection of 50,000 items assembled by Mr Douglas and Mr Jewell.

The collection was gifted to the University of Exeter by Mr Jewell after Mr Douglas's death.

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