On Friday night at the BFI, I was at the first public screening of a newly discovered silent film: The Death of Poor Joe, made in 1901 and now thought to be the earliest surviving movie based on a Charles Dickens novel. The film was shown as part of the BFI's fascinating series of pre-1914 short Dickens films. The programme is repeated on Friday 23rd March (more on that nearer the time), but one highlight of Friday's premiere of The Death of Poor Joe was an introduction by Michael Eaton, Dickens expert and co-curator of the BFI season dedicated to the author, who discussed the film's discovery and history. Is it really the earliest surviving Dickens movie? Here's what he had to say:

For more on the Dickens on Screen season, the official site is this way. And thanks to the brilliance of the BFI (and the internet), you can read on to watch the full film here: