David Stratton, longtime film critic on television and in print, finally got to answer that question with the forthcoming release of the documentary David Stratton: A Cinematic Life, written and directed by Sally Aitken. He said,"To be honest it's a mixture of reactions, really. I suppose it's flattering anybody would want to do something although it's slightly frightening. I'm still a bit overwhelmed by it all, to be honest."

Asked how he would review it, he said, "I don't think I can rate it at all: I'm too close to it."

What was the opinion of his erstwhile on-screen reviewing partner, Margaret Pomeranz?

"I think she liked it - of course, she had to like it, she got to talk about my fashion sense!"

You didn't think of getting that bit cut out?

"I wouldn't dare!"

In part, it's an overview of Stratton's life, from his early days in Britain and his early love of cinema to his emigration to Australia, which he'd seen on screen, his time running the Film Festival and his work as a critic writing for Variety and The Australian and his longrunning double act with Pomeranz on SBS and the ABC.

Tied in with this is an overview and appreciation of Australian cinematic history and culture, from the world's first feature film, the 1906 The Story of the Kelly Gang, to highlights such as the first Australian colour feature film, Jedda (1955), starring two Aboriginal actors, and the influential Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), part of the renaissance of Australian cinema. There are many interviews with directors, actors, producers and critics including Russell Crowe, George Miller, Nicole Kidman and Geoffrey Rush as well as an interview with Stratton's brother.

Stratton said that although he didn't want to talk about his current personal life in the documentary and offered some suggestions, he left the film-making to Aitken: "It's her film, not my film."

Aitken - an independent documentary filmmaker who jumped at the chance to work with Stratton- said the film proceeded more chronologically, the TV series more thematically, and the latter will obviously include a lot more material. She wrote the script after long conversations with Stratton about films and his life.

David Stratton: A Cinematic Life was shot periodically last year and Aitken that the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra was very helpful, especially in sourcing the older movies.

"They were fantastic to deal with and very generous. Handling some of the original nitrate of The Story of the Kelly Gang was a special moment for David and for us, too."

David Stratton: A Cinematic Life will be screening at Palace Electric on Wednesday. February 22. There will be a Q&A screening at 7pm (limited seats available) and a screening introduced by Stratton at 7.15pm. The film will go on general release on March 9 and a re-edited three-hour version will screen on the ABC later in the year. palacecinemas.com.au.