Charlie Chaplin

Charles Chaplin is film history - a genius of the defining art of the 20th century and a towering figure in world culture.

The British Film Institute celebrates the culture of motion pictures in every form. While our work and contacts have an international dimension there is obviously a special responsibility for British cinema and filmmakers. Charlie Chaplin, who retained his British Nationality throughout his life and his long production career in the United States is one of the pivotal figures in film history. He was the first film star and appealed to both popular taste and high culture. He remains the most universally recognised personality in the history of entertainment. It is fitting then that Charlie Chaplin should have a focal position in the Institute's cultural programme.