This film is part of Free

Title of error

See Help

A Strange Industry

Fascinating - if slightly grisly - look at a commercial butterfly farm

1916 7 mins Silent

Overview

This grisly film starts picturesquely, with butterflies sunning their wings on a stone wall, and continues well as a gentleman competently sets out his caterpillars on the branches of trees, covered in a linen sleeve to protect them from birds. Things take a turn for the worse, though, as he prepares the caterpillars and butterflies for exhibition - which is not as easy to watch.

This butterfly farm was set up in the 1880s by H. W. Head - presumably the man seen in this film - and was clearly still going strong in 1916 when this film was made by Davison’'s Film Sales agency, a distribution company of interest films who operated during the War years.WWI.

Country

United Kingdom

Language

No Dialogue with English subtitles

Subjects

Watch for free

New Perspectives: La Haine New Perspectives: La Haine

Short documentary 2025 4 mins

Charlie Hammersley, a student from Northumbria University, explains how Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film holds up a mirror to society.

Watch for free

Dreamers Q&A Dreamers Q&A

Inside Film 2025 30 mins

The film-makers behind a haunting tale of love and community within a UK immigration detention centre visited the BFI Southbank to discuss their film.