Sir Robert Hart: For China and the World

Thursday 12 June 2014 The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH

The British Academy hosted the UK’s public premiere of Sir Robert Hart: For China and the World. The film explores the forgotten history of Britain in China from the 1850s to the early 1900s through the life of Sir Robert Hart, Inspector General of China’s Imperial Maritime Customs from 1863 to 1911. An employee of China’s ruling Qing dynasty, he played a crucial role in the economic development of the country and in its interaction with foreign powers. Filmed in Shanghai and Sir Robert Hart’s native Northern Ireland, the film outlines the personal and political conflicts that motivated one of the most important foreign figures in Chinese history.