A special screening of Secret People (1952), introduced by film historian Brian Neve, plus Q&A chaired by Professor Andrew Spicer
Enjoy the final British film of Bristol-born director Thorold Dickinson — a compelling anti-fascist drama featuring Audrey Hepburn’s screen debut. Thorold Dickinson (1903–1984) was one of the most distinctive figures in British cinema. A leading member of the London Film Society, he helped introduce UK audiences to Soviet and European filmmaking, shaping new ways of thinking about cinema as both an art form and a vehicle for political ideas. Today, he is best remembered for Gaslight (1940) and The Queen of Spades (1949).
In this event, film historian Brian Neve explores Dickinson’s lesser-known Secret People (1952). Drawing on archival material from the BFI, Neve examines the film’s deeply personal significance, revealing how its themes reflect Dickinson’s own political experiences and why the project ultimately marked the end of his British filmmaking career.
Produced by Ealing Studios, Secret People is a fascinating blend of political drama and art cinema. Influenced by continental filmmaking traditions while working within the framework of Sir Michael Balcon’s celebrated studio, the film combines intimate character study, political critique and visual experimentation. At its heart are questions of resistance, idealism and the emotional cost of political commitment.
Though controversial on release and the subject of debate within left-wing circles, the film remains a powerful exploration of radicalisation, conscience and disillusionment. Its themes continue to resonate today, particularly in a city with Bristol’s rich history of activism and political engagement.
The film also boasts an exceptional cast, including Valentina Cortese and Serge Reggiani, alongside Audrey Hepburn in her first major screen role. Hepburn’s background as a trained dancer is woven into the film, adding another dimension that will appeal to audiences interested in film, performance and dance history alike.
Brian Neve, previously Reader in Film and Politics, University of Bath, is Visiting Fellow, UWE Bristol. His books include Film and Politics in America: A Social Tradition; Elia Kazan: the Cinema of an American Outsider and The Many Lives of Cy Endfield: Film Noir, The Blacklist and Zulu. Neve also co-edited (with Frank Krutnik, Steve Neale and Peter Stanfield), “Un-American” Hollywood: Politics and Film in the Blacklist Era. He is introducing several films in a strand on the Hollywood Blacklist at the Locarno Film Festival in August.
Dr Andrew Spicer is Professor of Cultural Production at the University of the West of England Bristol and co-editor on Manchester University Press’s British Film Makers series. He has published extensively about the British film and television industries, most recently book chapters on James Bond and Michael Caine, articles on Bernard Delfont and the BBC’s co-commissions with streaming platforms, and the monograph Sean Connery: Acting, Stardom and National Identity.
This event is produced by Professor Charlotte Crofts and Professor Mark Bould (UWE Bristol), co-convenors of Screen Research at UWE Bristol.
