Dante in Manchester Celebration Day Film Screening

Stephen Milner, from The University of Manchester, introduces Manchester's links with Italy and Dante, before showing a screening of Dante's Inferno, a silent film from 1911 that was first shown in Manchester's Free Trade Hall in 1913.

Occupying an important place in the the history of the birth of cinema, it was the first feature length movie to tour America, and contains extensive use of tricks and early spcial effects.

The Manchester Guardian on 6 May 1913 stated 'so far its mechanical production is concerned the film goes a long way to justify that it is one of the most wonderful of living pictures.'

Almost ninety-nine years ago to the month, hundreds of Mancunians queued up to this spectacular over a two week run that was without precedent and amongst the earliets encounter of the general public in the City with feature-length cinematic production.