“It makes no difference how often government ministers and quangos like the UK Film Council talk up the British film industry, it doesn’t exist. Let me repeat that: the British film industry doesn’t exist. It hasn’t existed for more than 30 years. In the past few decades we’ve had some very nice arts ministers, but they’ve been unable to help British films because of the impotence of their departments. The only route to a British film revival is through legislation, but no arts minister has had the power in Cabinet to make this happen – though some have tried.”