Summary: One of the world's most successful and influential directors, Steven Spielberg talks about his latest film, Lincoln, which is dominating the Oscar lists with 12 nominations. In a special extended interview, he talks to Francine Stock about his long courtship of Daniel Day-Lewis to play the leading role, the detailed historical research behind the production and the reaction of President Obama to the film. Also on the programme, there's discussion of how Lincoln has been represented on the big screen, from DW Griffith's controversial Birth of a Nation in 1915 to John Ford's Young Mr Lincoln in 1939 and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter in 2012. Professor Ian Christie of Birkbeck University and the critic Karen Krisanovich debate the subject who has become something of a touchstone for American directors.
