In the whole history of movies, there has been nothing like Kubrick's vision. It was a vision of hope and wonder, of grace and of mystery, of humour and contradictions. It was a gift to us, and now it's a legacy. I am pleased to hear that his Archives are going to University of the Arts London, which will ensure his legacy and vision are kept alive. Steven Spielberg, Director

Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick was born in New York City in 1928. At the age of 16 Kubrick took a photograph of a newsvendor the day after President Roosevelt died. Look magazine printed the photo and hired him as a freelance photographer. After creating a boxing photo essay for 'Look', he used his savings to make his first film 'Day of the Fight' in 1950, a 16-minute documentary.

Although by other filmmakers standards his output is not vast in terms of quantity - he only ever made 13 feature films - the years that followed saw him create critically acclaimed films in a plethora of genres from science fiction to war to historical drama to comedy to horror.

Kubrick's influence on film is manifested in numerous ways, from lighting to special effects to film content to music. His pioneering use of long takes, first used in 'Lolita', (using a high Average Shot Length), have inspired cinematographers since, as seen in the opening shot of 1997's 'Boogie Nights' and the restaurant scene of 1990's 'Goodfellas'.

Kubrick's influence goes beyond that of the film world to popular culture. The content of his films have been responsible for sparking public debate and discourse.'Dr Strangelove', a black comedy about an accidental nuclear war, was released at the height of the Cold War, and forced the public to reevaluate their stance. '2001: A Space Odyssey' released in the midst of the space race in 1968, a year before the first manned mission to the moon, deals with space travel and extra-terrestrial contact.

Kubrick and his family moved to England in 1969, where he lived until his death in 1999.

Information from Warner Bros Ltd

Kubrick Filmography

• 1953 'Fear and Desire'
• 1955 'Killer's Kiss'
• 1956 'The Killing'
• 1957 'Paths of Glory'
• 1960 'Spartacus'
• 1962 'Lolita'
• 1964 'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'
• 1968 '2001: A Space Odyssey'
• 1971 'A Clockwork Orange'
• 1975 'Barry Lyndon'
• 1980 'The Shining'
• 1987 'Full Metal Jacket'
• 1999 'Eyes Wide Shut'

Kubrick also planned to make two films - 'Napoleon' and 'The Aryan Papers' - but they never came to fruition. He also played an important role in the conception of 'AI: Artificial Intelligence', which was made after his death by his close friend Steven Spielberg.

Read more about Kubrick's life and work in the feature article, The Kubrick Legacy (pdf) in the Spring / Summer 2006 edition of University of the Arts London alumni magazine.