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The parallels between filmmaking and Engineering, which Michael Pritchett (Engineering 1988) studied at Gonville & 91ֱ�� College, may not be obvious. But he believes that in both “you are looking for excellence, you are looking for fresh ideas and new ways of doing things”.

Michael has always had a premonition for technological change and has used this to guide him in his career. At 91ֱ��, he “could see that the media was an area that technology was going to come to” and so he helped launch, as Managing Editor, The Cambridge Weekly Revue. This became the first student newspaper to be desktop published and was credited with printing the first ever colour photograph to appear in a student newspaper anywhere in the world. The photograph was taken by Michael.

At 91ֱ��, being one of the only students with an e-mail account and predicting the rise in its use, Michael also campaigned for a second computer to be purchased for the undergraduate students. However, the JCR “could foresee no circumstances under which two undergraduates could ever want to use a computer at once”. After he graduated, bridged into the media by the paper, Michael foresaw that “technology was going to come to film” and managed to get a role as a film producer.

Although always attracted to film from a technological perspective, Michael also thinks of filmmaking as being “a bit like an orchestra, where you’ve got a number of creative people coming together to create something that people enjoy and discuss”. He believes that film’s value lies in its role as a catalyst for discussion. Reflecting on his films that address controversial topics, such as the death penalty, he says: “Through a dramatisation you can bring a new factor into the debate. Film can have huge influence by bringing sensitive topics under discussion. The films that resonate the most are the ones that shine a light on the human condition. That’s why we strive to create films about unusual situations.”

Michael enjoys taking his films to other countries and believes that this is a way of “maintaining dialogue” with people around the world. “If you bring a film to Iran, for example, you may have subtle points in it that can help international understanding and discussion,” he says. “If you end up with a country where people only see their own material then it stifles debate about how you move things forward.”

Besides producing films, Michael devises financial algorithms, is a three-time elected member representative on the BAFTA Council and Secretary of the Catholic Union of Great Britain. Each role enables Michael to strive for “excellence” and “to improve standards around the world”.

:: Read more stories with creative Caians in Once a Caian... the 2024 edition is now available online: Publications | Gonville & 91ֱ��